FRANCE, EPINAL

String Quartet and Tapage by Pierre Jean Didier translated by Catherine J. Lewis Theobald, PhD

 Sharing in both the programming and the success, the Concerts Classiques series of the town of Epinal and the organization Youth Musical of France wanted to innovate by bringing together international music and percussive dance, and more specifically: American tap dancing. To champion these two choices, the regional guests were, on the one hand, the Stanislas Quartet, which moved from Guy Ropartz's string quartets to the masters of the skilful and stylish tango by adding an accordionist and drummer, and, on the other hand, the two ambassadors and undisputed queens of American style tap: Mari Fujibayashi from Japan and Olivia Rosenkrantz from the French region of Lorraine, founders of the Company Tapage.

 

This “joint recital” as such hybrid duos were formerly called, was for most of the spectators in the auditorium of La Louvière a total revelation: first, musically, in light of the styles of the pieces and the use of space by the two dancers; second, choreographically, because the dancing clearly went far beyond any visual memories of tap one might have from the mythical images of a Fred Astaire or a Gene Kelly. The tap dance of today is something completely different, as the two co-interpreters demonstrated with virtuosity. They were more than partners, unified like Siamese twins, animated by the same rhythmic precision and marvelously in harmony with the musicians, whether with the string quartet Stanislas or the prodigiously multi-cultural percussionist Marcel Artzer. Benefiting from minimalist staging in which the lighting also participated in the score, the two slender silhouettes offered an entire lexicon of footwork, from the tip of the toe to the heel, while their bodies, arms, and hands experimented with gestures that, although not at all baroque, possessed their own codes, punctuation, and aura. The outcome of the union of rhythmic style and choreography was an exemplary collaboration between the visible and the audible. A beautiful performance.

A great deal of the credit for the performance's success goes to the musicians from Lorraine, whose repertoire was not well known but of great compositional quality. Although Astor Piazzolla's delicious tangos for quartet and accordion are no longer considered great discoveries, the composer Silvestre Revueltas, on the contrary, is emerging as an innovator of musical support for percussive choreography. This was likewise a discovery of the colorist talents of percussionist Marcel Artzer, at the head of a finely exploited instrumentarium straight out of Darius Milhaud's "La Creation du monde”. Drawing from a repertoire of exotic music (from Mexico, Japan, China, and Argentina), the Stanislas Quartet composed a seductive, musical aviary where two rare black birds with winged feet came into full bloom.

 

“80 minutes of absolute grace, aesthetic delight and pure emotion… Like the best modern dancers, Olivia and Mari created a full art form with their movements and rhythms...”

Gérard Charut, l'Est Républicain ( France)

 

“Unified like Siamese twins, animated by the same rhythmic precision and marvellously in harmony with the musicians…

 …Benefiting from minimalist staging in which the lighting also participated in the score, the two slender silhouettes offered an entire lexicon of footwork, from the tip of the toe to the heel, while their bodies, arms, and hands experimented with gestures that, although not at all baroque, possessed their own codes, punctuation, and aura.The outcome of the union of rhythmic style and choreography was an exemplary collaboration between the visible and the audible.… Drawing from a repertoire of exotic music (from Mexico, Japan, China, and Argentina), the Stanislas Quartet composed a seductive, musical aviary where two rare black birds with winged feet came into full bloom.                                   

 Pierre Jeandidier, Jeunesses Musicales de France Chronicles

 

“Through percussive dancing, the duet expresses movement with a remarkable energy channelled and given to the audience without brutality but emotion instead. Exploring the exotic and mysterious world of Mexican Silvestre Revueltas, Federico Ibarra, Argentinean bandeonist Astor Piazzolla and Chinese/American Oboe Lee, blending tap with beautiful and sensual gestures… the dancers undulate smoothly with a dramatic expression in complete harmony with the musicians…Music and dance become one in a voluptuous atmosphere…” 

 J.C Vincent, L’Est Républicain (France)

 

“The two women, dancing to a repertory from Mexican, Japanese and Chinese/American composers, create an unusual gesture filled with voluptuous and exceptional grace”

 L’Est Républicain ( France)

 

“the body of the two artists became a percussive instrument of its own. They performed in perfect collaboration with the musicians.”

 La liberté de L’Est (France)

 

“Tapage turns tap into the most inventive form of contemporary dance…”

Gérard Charut, l'Est Républicain ( France)

 

Anxiety (review and quotes)