In a poetic rather than historical manner, choreographers Jérôme Brabant and Maud Pizon were inspired by two important pioneers of American modern dance for their production A TASTE OF TED. The Ted in question is Ted Shawn (1891-1972), who, together with his (ex-)wife Ruth St. Denis (1879-1968), created an eclectic dance language of their own in the 1930s. The two mixed ballet and modern dance movements with influences from traditional Asian, African and American Indian dance styles. By gaining insight into the dance of these 'foreign' cultures, they wanted to liberate the human body. With his virile and athletic performances, Shawn also contributed significantly to the emancipation of men in the art of dance.
Retro visionary
What does the legacy of these two pioneers still have to say to us today? That question formed the starting point for A TASTE OF TED, a cheerful, humorous performance that takes place between past and future, dance and debate, choreographic heritage and creation. Accompanied by the virtuoso piano playing of Aurélien Richard, Jérôme Brabant, born on Réunion, and the French dancer and choreologist Maud Pizon take a free dive into the Denishawn repertoire, as the heritage of Shawn and St. Denis is referred to. Based on movements and fragments from some rarely performed choreographies, and perhaps even never performed in Europe, the 'retro-visionary' duo takes the viewer on a journey. Where, analogous to the original choreographies, they create a dream-like, mysterious and fascinating atmosphere. Brabant and Pizon have been working on their research into the Denishawn repertoire since 2012. This earned them a residency in 2016 from the Hors Les Murs program of the Institut Français and in 2017 they received a grant from L'Association Beaumarchais-SACD. Their research culminated in the creation of A TASTE OF TED.
