“Dance Films are what will remain for the next generations”
Tommy Pascal was an amazing professional dancer for 18 years, working for companies such as Béjart Ballet Lausanne and Ballet Preljocaj. Since 2007 he has been devoting himself to direction, obsessed with the expression of bodies in motion.
-You danced at Béjart Ballet and Ballet Preljocaj. What do you remember about these great and amazing experiences?
“These 7 years of my life have been the most important for my career.
Béjart is like a mark on the skin made with a hot iron that you keep all your life. Wherever you go as soon as you say that you have danced at Béjart's people take you seriously. But I have to say that I have never worked so hard. In Rudra school we worked 9 am-7pm every day except Monday.
With the company we did 80 shows a year, all over the world. While dancing certain Mythical shows such as "The Bolero" with Sylvie Guillem on the table or "the Rite of Spring », I felt like I had the chance to touch « History » of dance with these mythical ballets.
Angelin Preljocaj’s work suited me better.
I wanted to work with him when I saw 2 dance videos: « Les raboteurs » and « Un trait d’union » . Hence the importance of video dancing!
But what struck me the most during this period was when Béjart offers a show for his 60 years old. Many dance personalities had come to dance : Sylvie Guillem, Maguy Marin, Patrick Dupont and also Dominique Mercy who danced his solo on Callas… I was 18 and I was struck by lightning, I hadn't seen anything so beautiful and powerful. It instantly changed my vision of dance.”
-When did you discover your passion for filming?
“I've always loved filming, I put that aside during my years at Béjart’s company and Preljocaj's... too much work!
I have a lot of images of the work we did in school at Béjart's, rehearsals, singing, theater, and also a lot of bullshit!
It's very moving to see that today ...
After leaving Ballet Preljocaj, I hesitated between doing choreography or filming dance. I had choreographed several things. My choice for the video was made because a lot of my friends choreographed, struggled to put on shows and since dance was very often poorly filmed, I told myself that I had something to contribute in this area.”
-How important is it to film dance today?
“This is important because it is what will remain for the next generations. I'm not talking about Instagram or Facebook content, I'm talking about contemporary choreography.
When I was in school with Béjart we watched a lot of recordings of Mats Ek, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Maurice Béjart... We would never have been so full of ideas and totally passionate if we had not seen these precious material. That’s why I love filming the shows of these “New Dance Monsters!” like Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Olivier Dubois or Alexander Ekman. It’s also like a way to continue to transmit, as I myself have enjoyed these dance films.”
-What kind of different sensations can give a film compared to a live performance?
“Let's be honest, nothing will replace the emotional power that one receives in the audience, in front of dancers.
But all the work is to make up for this lack with something else. For example being able to take close-ups and being able to show what you can't see in the audience. What is interesting is that the public looks right to left, they look at the whole scene, lingers on a detail. In a film it is the director who decides what the public should see. We impose on him a vision of the show with the editing. That’s why I edit all my films and I edit them in collaboration with the choreographer.
We all say that filming the dance is difficult, but editing the dance is also hard...especially if you've never danced !”
-How does your incredible experience as a dancer help and influence your work today?
“When you've been dancing all your life, you see dancing and dancers differently. Dance for me is like an Iceberg, the submerged part, the 10% of what we see, that's all the public perceives. But there is the 90%, the submerged, hidden, deep part, that we only know when we have practiced it, every day, professionally, in a rehearsal studio or on stage, in front of an audience often with a trained, injured body.
When I work with a choreographer, I am above all a dancer in front of a choreographer, I have a lot of respect for his work, I can spend a lot of time editing so that the result is satisfactory for both of us. Before being my film, this is her or his show!
I also have a lot of respect for the dancers that I film. Can people imagine the work that the dancers, for example, of the Batsheva's, NDT's or Paris Opera's have to provide to reach this level?”
-What kind of different possibilities can offer the camera?
“Camera and new technology offers a lot of possibilities but sometimes you can get lost in the technique. Steadycam, crane, drone, 35mm ... we're talking more technical than artistic.
Finally the best example is the film "Café Müller" by Pina Bausch, there are only two cameras following the dancers, almost no editing and it's so beautiful. Dance is sufficient on its own. The quality of what you shoot is important, it's not the cameras that will change a few things, only the director's eyes can.
For me the camera is only a way to capture what has just happened in the moment. I'm not trying to be original by using technical and editing effects. When I use a crane or a Steadycam, I use them in a simple and slow way, like the movements of the eyes of someone walking, so that I don’t disturb the continuity of the choreography. Direction and editing have to be invisible.
I made a documentary about Hedda Gabler's creation at the Oslo Opera House and the director and choreographer Marit Moum Aune was saying to the dancers as they improvised to build the choreography:
« Don't try to be original, try to be boring and you will become original » ... this is also true for a dance director!”
-Dance videos are developing as a powerful medium. What is its strength? Is this the future of dance?
“As I said above, nothing will replace the emotional power that one receives in a performance hall.
I love dance film but I hope it is not the future of dance. Of course we will be filming more and more and so much the better, but it is in front of an audience that it should be seen above all.
Dance video is developing a lot but it's been a long time since it exists, it is developing, of course, a lot on social media. But what is created only for social networks are "content", made to have likes or sell products ... which I think will disappear.
Béjart said: Either we become classic, or we become old-fashioned. If you watch, for example, the dance video: "Un Trait d’Union" by Angelin Preljocaj you can think that it has just been shot and yet it was made at the beginning of the 90s...it has become a classical dance video !
On the other hand if you watch, for example, the dance video: "Un Trait d’Union" by Angelin Preljocaj you can think that it has just been shot and yet it was made at the beginning of the 90s...it has become a classical dance video !”
-What is the difference between creating a trailer or a properly dance video?
“A trailer is interesting to do. For example, when we had to make the trailer of "Tragedie" by Olivier Dubois, we had to think carefully to translate this 1h30 play with nudity in 2min. All the more so as the show is gradually building up in tension. We made a choice and today this trailer has 2 million views between Vimeo and Youtube, hence the importance of a trailer!
For a properly video dance it has to be thought and written: imagine the work that was provided to choreograph, stage and perform "Rosas Dantz Rosas" by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker or "Blush" by Wim Vandekeybus.”
-What do you love the most about filming?
“What I like the most is being able to work with choreographers that I admire and who are for me the new generation of “Dance monsters”, like Crystal Pite, Olivier Dubois, Alexander Ekman, Ohad Naharin, Sol Leon & Paul Lightfoot and many others that I would love to film.”
-Describe yourself as an artist in three words.
“Work / Patience / Work”
-Can you give some advice to young dancers with the passion of filming and creating dance videos?
“Béjart told us: There is no art without knowledge.
You have to educate yourself and watch what has been done. Some videos dance are legendary such as "Rosas Dantz Rosas" by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, "Smoke" by Mats Ek or all the videos of Preljocaj, Bouvier Obadia, the cd rom released in the 90s in which William Forsythe explains his improvisation technique.
You must also see the documentaries "Les rêves dansant », "Mr Gaga » ou "Un jour, Pina m’a demandé"... There are a lot of dance videos to watch and watch again…”
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