eau

8,9,10, and 11 August

Cireundeu Opera House
Cireundeu, Tangerang

new, original work by
choreographer Carolyn Carlson
and composer Joby Talbot.

eau

ballet for twelve dancers
and orchestra

Carolyn Carlson l Joby Talbot l Alain Fleischer

performing: Chinatsu Kosakatani, Isida Micani,
Chiara Michelini, Sara Orselli, Sonia Rocha, Jacky Berger,
Yoann Boyer, Alan Brooks, Kevin Bruneel, Yutaka Nakata,
Yohann Têté, Amina Amici

production: Centre Chorégraphique National Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais, orchestre

national de lille région nord/pas de calais, Opéra de Lille, Le Colisée - Théâtre de Roubaix

production: National Choreographic Centre of Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais, Opéra de Lille, orchestre national de lille région nord / pas-de-calais , Théâtre Le Colisée

with the support of: The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative in partnership with: Le Fresnoy

New, original work by two exceptional artists – choreographer Carolyn Carlson and composer Joby Talbot. Choreographed by Carolyn Carlson, this work is one of her most ambitious creations, in the tradition of pieces like Maa, set to the music of Kaija Saariaho, and Signes, created for the Paris Opera Ballet with Olivier Debré. The ‘water woman’ is returning to the element that has inspired many of her dances, including Water Born which she performed in June 2007 in the Art Deco swimming pool in Bruay-La-Buissière. The music is by British composer Joby Talbot. Although he has already collaborated with some of Europe’s top choreographers, this will be his first original orchestral score for contemporary dance. This multi-talented musician has composed works like Luminescence, commissioned by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies, writes music for films, was a member of pop group The Divine

Comedy and has produced orchestral rearrangements of songs by rock group The White Stripes. His music for dance includes the latest work by Wayne McGregor for the Paris Opera Ballet, Genus. Alain Fleischer, the multi-talented photographer, film-maker and writer is designing a set that plays with water, mirrors and images to create a space in which the imagination reigns.

This new work – a National Choreographic Centre of Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais, Lille National Orchestra and Lille Opera production – will be performed by 12 dancers and an orchestra of 50 musicians.

eau will be constructed around the dramatic theme of immersion. Immersion in water, element with a myriad of faces – matter, voice, power, flexibility – listening to its mysteries and expressing its matter.

The essay L’eau et les rêves (“Water and Dreams”) by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard will constitute one of eau’s sources. Bachelard’s plunge into the imagination of matter will steer my choreographic approach. Following in his footsteps, I will try to advance to the heart of the matter by evoking the different faces of water. The work will be split into seven sections, each one a reflection of one of these faces.

1. primal waters : primeval water. Water as womb of life, running water of springs and rivers, water of lakes. 2. deep waters : Dreams of waters, ebb of mysterious water, river of the dead, drowned Ophelia floating on the water’s surface.
3. violent waters: Oceanic, masculine power of water. Destructive water, cataclysm, tsunami, disaster, ice melt
4. dirty waters :.ecology, drought, water wars, arsenic, plastic bottles, poison
5. pure waters : essential, ritual, miracle, force of life, dissolution,

Exploring clear waters and dark, swampy depths and trickles, we have just started the intensive work that will lead to the creation of the piece during spring 2008.

The Centre Chorégraphique National Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais was founded in Roubaix, northern France, in 1983 under director Alfonso Catá. It comprises a permanent dance company, a school and a venue, Le Colisée, where it organises its own programme of productions. Carolyn Carlson was appointed artistic director in December 2004 and immediately embarked on creating a host of new works, starting with a piece for seven dancers, a commission from the young Finnish choreographer Juha Marsalo, a show for a young audience and a solo. Each of these projects continues to enjoy wide public acclaim. Today the company presents some 100 performances a year, ranking it among the top four national choreographic centres that tour most in France and around the world. Every year over 40,000 spectators watch shows by the Centre Chorégraphique National Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais. Carolyn Carlson’s drive has today positioned the Centre Chorégraphique National Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais as a benchmark for new works and innovative projects. The UKMoves festival, organised in collaboration with the British Council, is testament to this dynamism. A steady flow of projects raising public awareness of the diversity of choreographic expression also serves to promote the cultural heritage of the Nord-Pas de Calais region and forge links with its inhabitants.

Water is a theme that has often inspired your creations.
Why are you so close to this element?

I’m a water woman. In my career, water has always followed me, or I’ve followed it. I was born in San Francisco, on the Pacific Ocean, I spent seven years in New York, on the Atlantic Ocean, then I lived in Paris on the banks of the Seine, in Helsinki, a port, and in Venice. I don’t know how many works I have created on the theme of water: Still Waters, Writings on Water, and my forthcoming piece, eau, are just some examples. It would appear that I’m closer to this element than others. For me, water is connected to dreams, mirrors and visions. It’s one of the most fundamental elements: we can’t live without water, just as we can’t live without sun. The French philosopher Gaston Bachelard said that water is the eyes of the earth. I like that a lot. I have to say that I’m very influenced by Gaston Bachelard’s L’Eau et les Rêves (‘Water and Dreams’). It’s an incredible book. It’s my source of poetry.

Joby Talbot has composed an original score for eau.
What made you want to work with him?

I heard about Joby Talbot’s music about three years ago and I find that he has extraordinary fluidity. He really is very good. So I thought he’d be the right person to work on this theme.

With Joby, I’m starting with primal waters: we are all water born in water, life originates in water. The sea is one of the most constant maternal symbols. Sensual, warm and milky, it fertilises, nourishes and rocks. So that’s the first section of the work. Next we deal with deep water, the realm of dreams, daydreams and mystery. Unfathomable and dark, it encourages deep contemplation which frees one’s innermost thoughts. Water carries an ambivalent image, of both birth and death. Suicide by drowning is a popular theme among artists. The drowned person finds in water a maternal and comforting envelope with possibilities of rebirth. Water reflects beauty but also holds onto it: so we have Ophelia who continues to float for many dreamers and poets – young, fresh and magnificent with her beautiful hair flowing around her. Violent waters are the subject of the third part. Water is often considered to be feminine but its anger takes on a very masculine strength. Destructive waves, ground swells, aggressive surges – man boasts that he can bring them all under control, but this leads to a formidable dual. Natural cataclysms are a kind of demonstration of this. In the fourth part we put the emphasis on dirty water and pollution. Just what are we subjecting the planet to? Every day articles are printed about drought, the result of our disregard for the natural balance. This shortage of an element that is so precious for life is going to generate more and more conflicts.

The final section deals with purification, miracles and life! Purifying water is water that gushes, runs and refreshes. We immerse ourselves in it to regenerate. Dense with life, even one single drop holds this power. The ritual of purification exists in every religion. The performance of each section varies in length.

What touches me is water’s perpetual movement. It flows, it evaporates, it crystallises. Everything happens instantly and everything is always different. Water is “an essential destiny that ceaselessly changes the substance of the being”, said Bachelard. In my choreography, I would like the bodies to feel moved by the life force, fluidity and sculptural properties of water.

eau is a complete creation in terms of choreography, music and set. The score will be played by Lille National Orchestra and the work will be staged at Lille Opera. How do you imagine the performances will be?

Thanks to the creativeness of the dance, video and orchestra, everything will come into its own and flow straightaway. It’s an incredible privilege to be able to dance to and interact with the live music of an orchestra every evening. In this way eau really is a double creation. Alain Fleischer, of Le Fresnoy1, is designing the set using the very beautiful idea of projecting fragmented images of water. Joby Talbot, Alain Fleischer, the 12 tremendous dancers and I are all living a very exciting experience.

Carolyn Carlson is the Artistic Director of the National Choreographic Centre of Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais based in the North of France. After her arrival in Paris in 1971, she became a key figure in the boom in

contemporary French dance. She has left an indelible mark on such institutions as the Paris Opera, the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, and the Avignon Festival. An outstanding dancer and choreographer, she has directed ballet at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm and been

Resident Artist at the Finnish National Ballet and the City Helsinki Theater. She has also created works, as Resident Choreographer, for such prestigious companies as the Nederland Dans Theater 3 and the Paris Opera Ballet. In June 2006, the Venice Biennale awarded its first ever Golden Lion to a choreographer, Carolyn Carlson. In her stunningly skilled choreographies that are an endless quest for poetry, she collaborates with great artists like composers Philip Glass, René Aubry, Gavin Bryars and Kaija Saariaho and dancers Larrio Ekson, Jorma Uotinen, Marie-Claude Pietragalla, Dominique Mercy and Tero Saarinen.

1965-1971 Leading figure in the Alwin Nikolais company; 1974-1980 Etoile-Chorégraphe at the Paris Opera Ballet (GRTOP); 1980-1984 Artistic Director of the Teatro La Fenice, Venice; 1985-1991 Resident Artist at the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris; 1991-1992 Resident Artist at the Helsinki City Theater and the Finnish National Ballet; 1994-1995 Artistic Director of the Cullberg Ballet, Stockholm; 1999-2002 Artistic Director of the dance section of the Venice Biennale; Since 1999 Artistic Director of the Atelier de Paris, master classes centre; Since 2004 Artistic Director of the National Choreographic Centre of Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais

2006 Venice Biennale’s first Golden Lion for Dance awarded to Carolyn Carlson

Key choreographies: Rituel pour un Rêve Mort, music Pierre Henry, Scarlatti, Galuppi, Avignon Festival; Densité 21.5, music Edgar Varèse, Paris Opera; Trio, music John Surman and Barre Phillips, La Scala, Milan; Blue Lady, music René Aubry, Teatro La Fenice, Venice; Still Waters, music René Aubry, Jean Schwarz and Serge Aubry, Théâtre de la Ville, Paris; Shamrock, music Gabriel Yared, Het National Ballet, Amsterdam; Dall’Interno, music Bob Dylan, Jean Schwarz, Nantes; Light Bringers, music Philip Glass, Teatro Verde, Venice Biennale; Writings on Water, music Gavin Bryars, Venice Biennale / Teatro La Fenice; Tigers in the Tea House, music John Boswell, Paris; Inanna, music Armand Amar, Roubaix; Main commissioned works: Slow, Heavy and Blue, music René Aubry, Paris Opera Ballet; Maa, music Kaija Saariaho, Finnish National Ballet; Them, music Terry Riley, Nederland Dans Theater 3; Sub Rosa, music Gavin Bryars, Cullberg Ballet, Stockholm; Signes, with Olivier Debré, music René Aubry, Paris Opera Ballet

Joby Talbot studied composition privately with Brian Elias and then with Robert Saxton and Simon Bainbridge at the Guildhall of Music and Drama. His music is widely performed on international platforms including the Royal Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The South Bank Centre, the Palais Garnier, and the Royal Albert Hall. His work with performers such as Alison Balsom, Maya Beiser, the King's Singers, Tenebrae and Ute Lemper has produced some inspiring repertoire. Talbot also has his own performing ensemble which showcases his chamber music, often involving live collaborations with visual artists. 2004 was a landmark year for Talbot. His first Proms commission Sneaker Wave premiered at the Royal Albert Hall and Classic FM appointed him as their first ever Composer in Residence. This residency resulted in the album Once Around the Sun on Sony/BMG. 2005 saw the premiere of Path of Miracles, a major new choral work for Nigel Short's Tenebrae, as well as the scores for two major films. Talbot's work has widely appealed to Europe's top choreographers. Chroma for the Royal Ballet, was Talbot's initial collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor. It received the South Bank Show Award for Dance and an Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. Subsequently, Paris Opera Ballet has commissioned an electronic score from Talbot for Wayne McGregor's newest work Genus for October 2007. Current projects have an international flavour. Manual Override, for the T'ang Quartet commissioned by the Singapore Arts Festival and Theatre Cryptic receives its premiere in Singapore. Mandala, for six harps commissioned by the RAM Harp Ensemble and the Australian Youth Orchestra will be heard in London in November and in Adelaide a few months later when Talbot will be composer in residence with the AYO. Eau, his first original orchestral score for dance is written for choreographer Carolyn Carlson and the National Opera in Lille. A versatile composer of enviable talent Talbot is also highly acclaimed for his music for film. For the concert hall he has scored Hitchcock's silent classic, The Lodger and Evgeny Bauer's The Dying Swan. Both films are presented live with accompanying instrumental ensemble. His work for cinema includes the scores for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow with director Garth Jennings.

Key recordings: Aluminium, 2006, XL Recordings - XLCD 197; Path of Miracles, 2005, Signum - SIGCD078; Once Around the Sun, 2005, BMG records; The Dying Swan, 2002, Black Box Classics

Born in 1944 in Paris. After studying literature, linguistics, semiology and anthropology at the Sorbonne and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, he taught at the University of Paris III, the University of Quebec in Montreal and various art, photography and film schools, including the prestigious La Fémis (formerly L’IDHEC) in Paris. Winner of the Prix de Rome, he stayed at the Villa Medici from 1985 to 1987. Commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture he set up and currently directs Le Fresnoy, the national studio for contemporary arts. The maker of some 160 films ranging from such diverse genres as feature-length fiction to experimental cinema and art documentary, he has just directed the film Centre Pompidou, l'Espace d'une Odyssée (“Centre Pompidou, the Space of an Odyssey”) in 2006/2007, commissioned

for the 30th anniversary of the Pompidou Centre in Paris. His films have been shown at many international festivals: Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Hyères, New York, London and Venice, and have twice won awards at the International Festival of Films on Art in Montreal. So far, six retrospectives of his cinematic oeuvre have been organised in Paris, New York, Montreal, Pesaro and Minsk. His work as an artist and photographer is regularly shown in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums in France and abroad. In 2006, three major exhibitions dedicated to his photographic work and installations were put on in Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou, the National Art Museum of China in Beijing and Sungkok Art Museum in Seoul. The author of around twenty books (novels, short story collections and essays on photography and cinema), Alain Fleischer has been increasingly focusing on his work as a writer in recent years. He published L’amant en

culottes courtes (Editions du Seuil, Paris) in 2006 and 599 (Editions Contrasto, Rome).

Selected filmography: Zoo zéro, 1978; L'aventure générale, 1980; Histoire, géographie, 1982

Le Louvre imaginaire, 1993; Un tournage à la campagne 27 juin 1936 – 15 août 1936, 1994; Un monde agité, 2000; Selected bibliography; Là pour ça, 1986; Quelques obscurcissements, 1991; La Femme qui avait deux bouches, 1999; La Pornographie. Une idée fixe de la photographie, 2000; Quatre voyageurs, 2000; Les trapézistes et le rat, 2001; Les ambitions désavouées, 2003; Les angles morts, 2003; La hache et le violon, 2004; La femme couchée par écrit, 2005; Immersion, 2005; L'accent, une langue fantôme, 2005; L'amant en culottes courtes, 2006

One of the UK’s foremost conductors specialising in contemporary repertoire, Christopher Austin has given more than 80 world and local premieres in the last decade, including works by John Adams, Simon Bainbridge, Luke Bedford, Tansy Davies, Michael Finnissy, Morgan Hayes, John McCabe, Stuart MacRae, Colin Matthews, Olga Neuwirth, Steve Reich, Poul Ruders, Bent Sørensen, Joby Talbot, Raymond Warren and John Woolrich. More than 40 of those premieres have been given with the Brunel Ensemble of which he is Artistic Director and with them and many other ensembles he has consistently championed the music of Malcolm Williamson and Elisabeth Lutyens in both performance and in recordings. He has had a long association with music of John McCabe and a disc of McCabe’s orchestral music recorded with the BBC Scottish has been recently released on Dutton to widespread critical acclaim. His recording of Anders Brødsgaard’s Piano Concerto, with Rolf Hind and the Esbjerg Ensemble, was released on Da Capo records this Spring Recent work includes debuts with the Orchestre National de Lille, the Danubia Symphony Orchestra and at the Aldeburgh Festival; returns to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, RTÉ Concert

Orchestra and the Esbjerg Ensemble, as part of Sound Around – the Øresund Biennale of Contemporary Music in Copenhagen. Other work includes the London Sinfonietta, Composers’ Ensemble, The Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Hallé and BBC Concert Orchestras, Present Music (New York), Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, the Danish Radio Sinfonietta, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and the English Symphony Orchestra. He has also collaborated with John Cale, Michael Nyman and the rock group The Divine Comedy. Future work includes further concerts and recordings with the Esbjerg Ensemble and his debut with the Odense Symphony Orchestra. In great demand as an orchestrator for film, recent projects include two Ivor Novello Award winning

scores - Dan Jones’s score for Max (2004) and Jeremy Sams’ for Enduring Love (2005) . His longstanding

collaboration with Joby Talbot includes scores for Son of Rambow, Arctic Tale, Penelope, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Aluminium, an album of White Stripes orchestral covers. Christopher Austin was educated at the University of Bristol, studying composition with Raymond Warren and Adrian Beaumont, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he was taught by Robert Saxton and Simon Bainbridge. He teaches composition, orchestration and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, London.