Wild at heart
Aki Saito talks to Donald Hutera about the Royal Ballet of Flanders revival of William Forsythe’s violent, crazy masterwork lmpressing the Czar
‘ ou‘re gttlllg‘ It) gt‘l l‘L‘ilii} iti\l.. [tl‘L‘tilt‘h .'\ki Saito. prineipal daneer \\llil the Rtl}ili Ballet ol l‘landei‘x. Slie\
talking about the axerage pei‘xon'x reaetion to William l-'tii‘x}t|it"x three<aet e\!ra\agan/a. [HI/N‘t’x'alllg' the (fur. ‘Yoti \xoii‘t kiioxx \xhat to expeet or “here to look but] xhe addx \\ itli an air ol‘ mixeliiexonx eomietion. ‘it‘x a great thing?‘
l"tii'x§tiit‘. the ma\eriek eontemporar} ballet. hax done more than aiiione to ptixh and prod the ai‘tl‘orm to e\tremex. ()riginall} ei‘eated tor the l’ai‘ix ()pera Ballet in NBS. ('iur ix otten aeknoxx ledged ax a milextone in the .-\meriean ehoreographer‘x eareer. ‘l‘he Ro_\al Ballet ot‘ Handei'x ix the onl} eompan}. other than l-'tii‘x}tli‘x oxxn. that hax the right to perform it.
The reaxon i.x K;llitl'_\lt Bennettx. l’or l5 _\L‘;ll\ she “as l5oi‘x_\the'x ballet niixti‘exx and. ax xiieh. hi.x right hand. She kltti\\x the man‘x \iork inxide—out. When Benneth took over the artistic direetorxhip of Flanders two years ago. it was only natural that .xhe'd bring xome niee ehunkx ol‘ Forxythe‘x' ehallenging oetnre \xith her. It ix. Saito obxei'\e.x. part ot‘ a plan to o\erhau| the
32 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE "
darling ol'
eompan} 'x xale image.
Staging (fur \\;l\ both a eotip and a gamble, The piece lk‘gllh it] a \lttle Hi deeettlt‘tei} eltatille o\ei'di‘i\e. ax xeoi'ex ol' daneeix in tlaxh_\. eonrt|_\ eoxttiiiiex run amok on a xtage that ix halt ehexxboai‘d. hall Roman amphitheatre. In betneen bontx ol’ \ it‘ttioxie iiio\enieiit the} xpout te\t about torture. or tr} to pieree eaeh other \\ ith giant ari'ou x. \Vhat doex it all mean'.’ .\ot to \\ttl'l‘}. Saito xa_\x. beeanxe ‘e\ei_\thing ix CUHHL'ClL‘ti..l‘iiill.\1iik‘gk‘llilhtii i‘ttt'\} the.
.\C1 ()ltL‘ L‘Hlliti l‘t‘ tiL‘L‘ltlL‘ti ;t ildg‘llh‘lth‘ti homage to danee liixtoi'_\ and \\extei‘ii etilture. .4\|l thix ix \xiped ;i\\a_\ in .-\et i\\t\. a \xliiplaxh \llllL‘ Hi \ttltix. tillk‘l\ and [Min Itit' lttltt' \iL‘k'i’x datieet'x ealled Iii l/lt’ .i/it/t/h‘. lj/eitiletl. 'l‘hix ix \xhei'e Saito eomex into her own. taking on a role origiiiall} eieated tor the xupei'xonie ballerina. S} l\ ie ( iiiillem.
'l'm not ti'}iiig to make it look eax} oi dil‘lieult.’ xhe xa}x4 'l itixt think about teehiiieal thingx. and energ}. When it xtai‘tx more iuxt people “alking and hanging around not like robotx. but human beingx. 'l‘hen v. e xtai't tlaiieing like era/_\. It lookx \iolent. but it ean't be niexx}. You lime to do e\er_\thing elean It‘x piiie
\nmt n/itzl
www.list.co.uk/dance
teehnitiiie and that ix the beatiti ot it ‘
\"aito‘x eiitii‘e piolexxional lite hax been bound tip \\llil I‘landei'x She aiii\ed lioiii Japan at It). giadtiatiiig into the totiipan} Ill I‘Wl attei \lllti}lllg‘ ;tl ll\ \t'IitiiiI ittl lillt‘t' _\t‘;il\ ()l the iiian_\ aitixtie oppoi‘tttiiitiex xhe‘x xiiit e had \wi'kiiig \HIil i'ttl'\}lilk‘ iankx at the top ‘I didn‘t ktttm him he \ktittid be.‘ die \a_\\. ‘i \‘..l\ xtated to meet hiiii but he \iax xo xueet. Iled xai thingx like: "Do iiitieli iiioi‘e. take a iixk. l knov. ion ean”, llix \ioidx ga\e me pouei and t'tiiititit-iit'o
Saito xitx out the liiial aet ol (flu. but knowx it well. i‘ll'\l tlietex a tieii/ied .nietioii that liiikx baek to the opening xeene. then a tribal kiieex up L'Hiliik'ki Hui/git Hung“ Niger/rt. llt \killt‘it ‘1‘) daiieei‘x eapei' lieiidixhl} in identieal xehoolgiil tiiiitoi‘iiix and Prime \aliant \klf._‘\. Hiie ti'itit dubbed it 'Bi'itiie} Speai'x in the iiingle'. .~\eeoi'ding to Saito: 'tlie eiieig} ix xo big ion leel like _\ou're on a drug. oi‘ drunk.‘
.\x toi~ the audieiiee \iatehing it. Saito hax xoine good adiiee: 'l xa}. don't ti'_\ to niideixtaiid. .lnxt etttti} it.~
lmpressing The Czar, Festival Theatre, 473 2000, 18—20 Aug, 7.30pm, 29.504240.