CriticalDance Forum

LA LA LA HUMAN STEPS
"SALT"
Thursday Feb.10-8:00 P.M.
Friday Feb. 11-8:00 P.M.
Saturday Feb. 12-8:00 P.M.
Sunday Feb. 13 - 2:00 P.M.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

This dynamo of a company from Montreal practically invented the electrically
careening style of contemporary dance. Salt, the latest brainchild of
Artistic Director Édouard Lock with music by David Lang, takes his
fascination with complexity and speed one step further. "For me," he
explains, "the paths and directions of the body in movement are as real as
the bones that compose it and the thoughts that govern it." Copenhagen's
Information said, "They jump, they whirl, they hurl each other into space.
Sheer delight – precise, musical, concise."
DANCE/SCREEN
Videos of the company's work (with commentary from Artistic Director Edouard
Lock) will be shown as part of our Dance/Screen Series on Tuesday, February 8
at 7:00 p.m. in the Screening Room of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Tickets are $6 / free to subscribers and can be reserved by phoning (415) 978
2787.

<small>[ 10-09-2002, 12:38: Message edited by: Admin ]</small>

If anyone is going to see LaLaLa Human Steps, could they post a report, even if only brief. Their 'Salt' is coming to London soon and it would be good to hear something about it. LLLHS have always had a soft spot in my heart as they were one of the first modern dance groups that I saw on TV. However, on the basis of their last full length show here in London, I have to say that I preferred their 5-minute bursts on video or on TV to the 70-80 minute version. <P>However, a few words of praise would be enough to persuade me to try again. Like Charlie Brown, I'm always prepared to stand up for my right to be wishy-washy. <P>

Stuart-I saw Lalala Human Steps several years ago as part of a perfomring arts series at Kansas State University. I was incredibly impressed with them. They combine the physical daring of Cirque de Soleil with gymnastic, acrobatice feats which defy gravity. I can't remember the name of the piece I saw, but it had also a flavor of European performance art/tanztheatre. As opposed to the more traditional "classical" look of some of American modern dance companies. I recommend, although I saw them several years ago; don't know what they're up to now.

I've seen La La La here in Montreal, where the same piece was titled Exoce, and for the English countries, they've been using the title Salt.<P>What Trina said is correct, although for Salt, Locke has stepped into the boundaries of ballet, with several of his females dancing on pointe. By no means is this a ballet piece, though.<P>I found the one downside to the piece was the length of the ballet, over an hour with no intermission. However, the athleticism, musicality, and their sheer abandonment in the movement is absolutely amazing.<P>Locke choreographed a similar ballet on Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and a couple of his current dancers were involved in his creation on Les Grands. The joined him when he started Salt a couple years later.<P>On a side note that should belong to Press' other thread, Montreal Danse is coming to LA, and they are doing a prgoram which I have seen twice here in Montreal. I enjoyed it even more the second time. They are an excellent company, with dancers who use their whole body and have fabulous energy and musicality. The choreography I found fresh and innovative. Annother company I highly recomend seeing if you have the chance.<P>I also know the dancers are looking foward to warm weather!<P>pidge<P>

Well, I guess Bay Area fans are in for a treat then, with the video presentation and lecture on Tuesday 2/8/00 and performances later in the week. I will report on the both later in the week.<P>Alas, Montreal Danse performed only once at CSU, LA, on the same weekend as Stuttgart Ballet in Orange County.

"Lily Marlene dans le Jungle" was the first modern dance performance I saw and it was the first major work by Edourd Lock. I knew right away I had found my calling. This work wasn't as physical as his work later became. I must say not enough credit has been given to Louis Lecavalier for her contribution to the development of E.L's work. This paricular choreog./dancer relationship is unique. I don't think E.L would have grown the way he did if it wasn't for the commitment, dedication and input of Lecavalier.

Well, the reviews for Salt were not that positive. Most fans liked it but some didn't. I made a remark after the show that it reminded me of Modern Dance on Pointe or Ballet on Steroids. A ballerina friend thought, given the violent nature of the en pointe dancing, that the dancers probably have no toenails left. Another ballet dancer said he would only be able to dance a short version of this work in an entire evening's program.<P>I myself found it dark and a little repetitious. The motifs kept repeating over and over again, especially in the pdd's.<P>I must say though that I would like to get a copy of their video, "Velazquez's Little Museum," in which Louise Lecavalier was absolutely remarkable.<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited 03-07-2000).]

Azlan I have the "Valasquez..." video. I find it a bit long, not enough dance... but Lecavalier, remarkable as always.

Georgie, where did you get the video? How does one purchase it? I love the scene where Lecavalier falls into the painting that turns out to be a pool of water.<P>Also, according to Edoard Lock, he did not have anything to do with the costumes (or lack thereof in the water scene) -- that was left up to the video director.<P>Also, I saw another short video of a work where Lecavalier danced opposite an actor-turned-dancer in a hall, where at the end, water fills up the entire hall. Do you the name of that male dancer and/or the name of that work?

La etc. open 'Salt' in London this week. Here is a preview interview with Eduard Lock dealing with a range of issues including his use of pointe work. Not sure whether I'll have time to go, but I'll post some reviews when they appear.<P> <A HREF="http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/arts/story/0,3604,143762,00.html" TARGET=_blank>www.newsunlimited.co.uk/arts/story/0,3604,143762,00.html</A>

aslan I got the Val. video in Montreal a few years ago. Put out by ANTENNA 365 St-Paul Ouest, Bureau 1 Montreal (QC) H2Y 2A7 if you want to get in touch with them. I have a tape of that other short piece with the water you are talking about. Brilliant. I forget the name of that male dancer he is one of the first male dancers to work with Lock. He did Lock's stuff exceptionally well. Beautiful to watch.

La La La Human Steps visited London in March with their most recent show, 'Salt', which has been touring the world for the last 18 months or so. I have had a soft spot for this company ever since the 80s, when they started to appear on TV in 5-minute bursts of raw, hyper-kinetic contemporary dance to rock music. However, their visit to London a few years ago, for their previous full length work '2', the law of diminishing returns applied sharply after the first 20 minutes or so.

'Salt' marks a change of technique, but not broad concept, as Lock has become a devotee of point work, performed here to live piano, cello and everyday sounds. Initially surprising, it makes sense when you realise how much faster a dancer can spin on point. Gone are the rugged gymnastics of his one-time muse Louise Lecavalier, to be replaced by lightning quick pirouettes, echappées and bourées in jerky combination with busy gestural work and supple contortions.

The pace and precision of the performers thrilled me for longer this time. However, after about 30 minutes, the limited palette of movement proved too much as steps and sequences were repeated over and over again. We saw the girls performing cross-legged flicks on point several hundred times during the evening and numerous off-centre entrechats by the boys. I have to report that the London critics were united in their view that the show was 2-3 times too long for the content.

As with '2', there was some attempt to use multi-media. At intervals there were projected, close-up images of babies, two women and a ball flying repeatedly towards us accompanied by a deafening bang. The images did not seem relevant, were not attractive and in the case of the balls were positively irritating - a case of three strikes and out. It's not that I don't like such use of effects. The night before I had seen a UK company, V-TOL, who also use multi-media displays, but to much better purpose.

The theatre was full and many stayed behind for a post-performance question and answer session with Lock and a couple of the dancers. Contrary to what we would expect, injuries are not a major problem despite the hair-raising speed and, as evidence, we were told that that none of the shows on the current tour have had to be cancelled. They explained that, because they have several months to learn the works at slow speeds, the dancers build up muscle memory that helps to protect them against injury.

From the audience comments and overheard conversations, it was clear that La La La etc had pleased a lot of people and, I suspect, had brought some newcomers to see dance, which has got to be a good thing. I would be interested to see some of the work that Lock has done for other companies, but only if it is packaged in shorter time slots.

<small>[ 10-18-2002, 09:31: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Dita Asiedu - Radio Prague, 09-10-2002:
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Notes for La La La Human Steps new work from the Danse Danse 2002-2003 program (This work is also to be performed in Paris in November with dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet.) :

<img src="http://www.opera.cz/en/predstaveni/lalala/imgs/lalala.gif" alt="" />

Canada NewsWire - Oct. 8, 2002:
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<small>[ 10-09-2002, 19:10: Message edited by: Marie ]</small>