"bring truthness and humanity on stage"
Chloé Albaret is a extraordinary, versatile and mature dancer who has been working in NDT for 11 years.
-You have a brilliant career. What is the key to your success?
“I joined NDT2 11 years ago. I was very attracted to this company for its versatile repertoire they have You can see a dancer do a classical piece and he/she looks amazing and you can see the same dancer do a really contemporary piece and he/she looks equally amazing and I felt that was really where I wanted to be as a dancer: I wanted to be able to touch every style and find my way. I didn’t want to focus on one particular thing but I wanted to do everything and I had that ambition. I started dancing with contemporary dance, ballet came later for me, so I already had some kind of movement and flow. And with every person I wired I tried to really embody the style, to try to pick on every aspect that makes that style a particular thing, and at the same time trying to put it in my body in my own way. So my versatility let me work with a lot of people, doing a lot of different pieces.
Hard work is important. I was observing, I was looking at the other dancers a lot and people that were there for a long time and were inspiring me, I was trying to take every quality that enlightened every dancer and to put it in my body and do it in my own way. I tried to work with my head and not only with my body. But I was also very insecure and within being insecure I was still trying to be better, because it was never good enough for me. So I was trying to get as much as I could, get more inspiration and work harder. To have the feeling of never achieving so to leave space to do better and learn more, this is what brings you further every time. At the moment you think “oh this is my thing, I’m good with that”, you stop yourself and you stay in your comfort zone.”
-You are one of the dancers who has stayed in NDT for a long time so how is your experience being in the company and what could you learn and gain?
“NDT has been changing a lot since I joined. When I joined in 2010 we were still doing a lot of Jiri Kylian’s repertoire, we had a bit more neoclassical repertoire, then we went to the small period of Sol and Lightfoot, and we did a lot of their works. The company kept evolving and seeing dancers leave and enter was very inspiring for me and also challenging. In 11 years I have seen so many dancers that give you food for your own self. And the way the company is now is really different, I would say it is more contemporary than when I joined, more theatrical work also. It is evolving and it is beautiful looking at the dance world changing. Keep learning: this year I could learn a lot because we had much longer time for pieces, for processes, it is very different than before when it was super fast. I have learnt how to work in very short time, very quickly, to switch styles very quickly, to do many pieces at the same time, but also to spend time on one thing.”
-You have worked with a lot of various choreographers. How could you adapt yourself as an artist while working with different people?
“First of all, observing. I try to really understand the style and really put it in my body. Sometimes in NDT, because we do so many things you have the impression you never go in depth into one style. We become very good copy-cut, that it doesn’t mean that we are getting the whole thing. I think it is the ability to catch the essence of each style and to understand it, putting in my body and trying to get as deep as I can with the time that I have. Because sometimes you have a creation process with a choreographer but you are also doing a completely other piece, so you have to switch.”
-What is artistry for you and how did you develop your artistry?
“Artistry is many things. When I’m the most touched by a dancer, it is when I can catch the humanity within the performance. So, of course we have to perform, we have to act, but some people even if they are embodying a role that is completely opposite of what the personality is, they manage to bring a level of truth in it, of humanity. You can connect to them on a human level and this is what touched me the most: when you can see their journey, you can see this person be what he/she is representing in this moment, but there is something true about them. Sometimes it is hard to understand exactly what it is but it is often related to humanity even in something that is not human. When they touch me on a deeper level than just being good dancers, so you can connect with them with imagination.
And I feel I can be more honest now than when I was younger. For me it is important to be honest with what I do: when I perform I feel I’m in the now. When I was younger I was trying to predict “I have this step coming”, every time looking in the future of what you still need to do and now I feel I’m completely in what I’m doing in the present moment, so no matter what happens I’m in the present. And when you connect with this feeling is beautiful for yourself: anything can happen, it is not about being perfect. And I feel it is important to connect with my humanity, to who I am. Even if I have to embody a character I want to feel true to it, so how can I find a level of truthness in it?”
-And how important is also the process of improvisation and research?
“I think that can help a lot. This is something I have missed for many years because I have been so busy and I have never had time to do that by myself. But this year I have been able to improvise much more, also in processes we had a lot of improvisation and I felt I understood a lot more how I move, how my body works, researching by improvising, realizing my patterns, what is easy or hard for me. You need time and space to do that. It is important to put yourself tasks, to break your own patterns. Sometimes you feel super connected and sometimes you feel shit, but you learn a lot about yourself.”
-What are important characteristics you need to have today as a contemporary dancer?
“A level of truthness to yourself. Keep challenging yourself and work with your head and not just with the body. Working with your head means also realizing “I’m not so good at this, how can I change that?” analyzing yourself. Dancers that do that have an intelligence connected to their body and you can see that difference, without staying in the comfort zone. Openness, and being able to aim every time for me, even if sometimes you feel down.”
-How can you define “technique” and why is it important?
“Often people associate technique to ballet. I have seen absolutely amazing dancers being completely shit at ballet. So, of course it depends on what fields you are: if you are in a ballet company obviously you have to focus on ballet technique. In NDT I think technique is more related to understanding your body in the way you move your body, the control you have in the way you move your body, the way you detail things. Of course to join certain companies you are asked to have a certain level of ballet, because it is part of the audition most of the time, and it can help a bit. But I don’t consider this as the main technique. So, I see technique in dancers that are in control of their bodies in the most incredible ways.”
-How do you react to bad days and struggles?
“I have had a lot of those. Most of the time my struggles and my bad days will come from being very tired, in pain, the feeling I have to perform anyway. I deal with it but am going through it. There is no magical button. But I try to be gentle with myself, when I feel I have a bad day or my body is not good I would try to push a bit less in class or rehearsal, saving myself for the show. And surprisingly sometimes I have terrible days, I was so tired, but when I get to the show, while performing I really enjoyed it, without expecting it. Sometimes when you are so tired you are actually exactly where you should be energetically while performing and it ends to be a great show. You don’t push too much but you are just there, you are present.”
-What is the role of dance in society today? Why do we need ‘dance’?
“People just really need art and dance. Dance and art in general gives people the possibility to escape from their lives, to escape their own problems. They are sitting in the theatre, not thinking about anything, getting inspired, dreaming. Hearing the feedback from the audience, you realize how much it can be a life journey for someone to just see a performance. It can touch so deeply that can bring something completely new in their lives. In society in general it is usually seen as something that we don’t need, it is the first thing to be cut, but in the end people are grappling up to this, even when they are in lockdown in their home, people are looking for art: shows online, paint, movies… It is something that is essential for us, for human beings, even if in smaller ways, but it is something we cannot live without. And through art we can pass so many messages that sometimes reach people more.”
-Do you have any advice for young dancers?
“Just keep your motivation. Corona or not, if you really want something, if this is really what you want to do, you need to go after this. Keep developing yourself. I believe there is a place for every kind of dancer in many places, in many companies. Keep investing, keep researching, keep trying.”
Thank you so much Chloé! You are a living inspiration.