‘.»-\nyway. I think I am an owl — I always work at night — so I started watching owls. the way they move and behave: then I bought two owls for myself and used them in different productions. The owl features in a lot of classical paintings as the messenger of death and. in Petipa‘s Swan Lake. Rolhbart really is an owl. People forget that.’ he says. draining a large glass of orange juice and ordering ‘mineral water with music.’ ie. fizzy.
This is a ballet about death. sex and love. insists I-‘abrc. who is currently preparing five museum shows across Europe and is about to install a permanent ceiling piece in the Royal Palace in Brussels. Swan Lake is about the preparation for dying and our longing for beauty. Today. we sweep death under the carpet. As a child. I remember when someone died we all went to view the body. If I went to the butcher's shop it reeked of death. Now. you can't smell the flesh and blood — ever'ything’s wrapped in Cellophane. Society wants us to believe we don‘t kill people or animals.’ he says. attacking a tuna sandwich.
Death is important in his work — out of his respect for life. he insists. ‘It‘s almost a memento mori -— the skull beneath the skin.‘ He‘s also inspired by Flemish classical paintings. particularly the works of Hieronymous Bosch and van Eyck. ‘I think I am one of the last avant-garde artists in Europe whose work is rooted in tradition. I steal from the past.‘
A fan of Fred Astaire. he can't dance. but has worked with dancers for more than 20 years. ‘I approach dance from the inside out.‘ he explains. ‘Dancers have to be prepared mentally. which was a big shock for this company. I made them stop moving and start thinking. I force them to ask questions and find answers. to think before they leap.‘
Yes. he says. he‘s a driven man. He has a vision. although he and Devers are a team. Yesterday’s contretemps was about his pursuit of beauty. It was up to the artistic director to worry about the unions. he shrugs. ‘We shouted at each other. but then we were friends again. We have a lot of respect for each other.‘
The concept of cruelty is another constant. His famous I992 Sweet Temptations production — set to Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life‘ — featured scenes of masturbation and alienation. ‘No. I don’t think I am cruel to my performers. although I‘m not sentimental about dancers' pain. They chose this profession. therefore they elected to suffer.‘
Swan Lake, Edinburgh Playhouse, 473 2000, 20-24 Aug, 7.30pm, 525-5237.
' “a MORE FESTIVAL OWLS
I Check out Stewart Lee's Pea Green Boat (T raverse. 20—24 Aug. 10.45pm) which considers how the big-eyed bird got itself stuck at sea with a cat. its natural enemy. Jon Benson (Book Festival. 22 Aug. 8.30pm) is likely to talk about the strange worshippers of the owl god. And there's an owl in the very entertaining The Gratian (C Too. until 25 Aug. 2pm).
‘ 5—22 Aag 2032 THE LIST FISTIVAL OUIDI 31