Du Vivant Sous Les Plis
Incarnation
World premiere on February 2- 3, 2021 at the Théâtre des Bains-Douches, Le Havre under the auspices of the Pharenheit Festival
Conception, choreography and performer:
Margot Dorléans
Sculpted structure: Laure Delamotte-Legrand
Structure and acoustic design: Laurent Durupt
Lighting design: Mael Iger
Outside Eye: Maxime Guillon-Roi-Sans-Sac
Production : Du Vivant Sous Les Plis
Coproduction (others TBA): Le Volcan-Scène Nationale du Havre en partenariat avec Le Phare-CCN du Havre et Le Théâtre de Bains-Douches
Chorège / CDCN Falaise Normandie
Residencies:
les Franciscaines/Deauville,
théâtre de l’Étincelle-Rouen,
La Bazooka au Wine and Beer - Le Havre,
théâtre des Bains-Douches-Le Havre
Incarnation is an immersive structure for a single dancer, a plastician’s work and an acoustic composition in which the voice embodies and takes on the form of an interior song which transforms both the body and the space. It is a deep exploration via vocal vibration into the heart of the physical symbolic spaces of feminine internal life: specifically the space of the pelvis and that of the vocal cords, a physical space for expression. A creation which resonates like the interior song of feminine identity.
"Une matière fidèlement contemplée produit des rêves"
(G. Bachelard)
Creator’s note
As in my first two creations (Vertébrés and Confier), the body, used as a source of living material, is the center from which comes the dance, the acoustic score and the use of stage space.
However, in Incarnation, the principal source is the voice, triggering the body and the movement space. The voice has a unique quality, in that it is different for each person, impalpable but also tangible; it is an instrument of communication and must be aimed outward for that purpose. The idea then is to flip that direction, such that the sound will lead to an exploration of the body; making the voice into a sound which then makes certain body areas vibrate in a particular way. Sounds which have been collected via a special system may be at the very edge of audibility, internal vibrations underlying the movement and choreographic vocabulary.
This exploration of vocal vibration has a certain resonance with the internal space of the pelvis and the center of the body. The voice, a reflection of the intimate character, the female center of the body as a space for creation in the broadest sense – is brought into resonance in order to find more to say about the body and my own feminine experience and channeling its potential for transformation. Working with the voice as a vehicle for an interior journey.
Genesis
The idea for this solo came to me shortly after the world premiere of Confier; I was coming off a one week yoga retreat whose theme had been “Sacred feminine yoga.” It seemed clear to me that my work had a lot to do with the “intimate” range of movement, linked to the organic, in other words -- of profound reality and internal life. After having created a duo in Confier, the solo form seemed to be the obvious next step, with the idea of exploring more fully the idea of solitude at the organic center of my own intimacy.
Femininity, beyond the question of gender, is about a deep, intimate reality. The dictionary says, “that which belongs to the sex which ovulates and produces eggs,” as opposed to the male – but it also says, “which belongs to the woman,” or “corresponds to the physical, sexual, psychological image which man or society makes of woman and femininity.” I feel that I embody these 3 principal definitions. Today I am the mother of 3 small daughters, 2 of which are twins, and I often find myself saying, “You’re doing okay?” or “it must not be easy for you,” the subtext of which is “You have 3 small children, yet you manage to find the time to work, to create?” or “You’re so brave, but it must be hard for you.”
The desire to create is a necessary one for me, which of course does not mean I don’t have problems doing the work, that I don’t have to deal with problems of equality, of the endless preconceptions, the societal norms dictating that childcare should be the responsibility of the mother, and if she chooses to also work, this requires so much energy; sometimes this does seem like a never-ending quest to not give up.
I would like to have a large family and still continue to create, to flourish in this profession which I love, this is my reality. What drives me to continue, to claim my place in the field – is not only a wish, it is necessary for the future, a paradigm I hope to transmit to my daughters, telling them they may always choose what they want for themselves, with neither compromise nor consent to actions or things they do not want.
So the dance studio is where I go, where I re-center myself, outside my responsibilites as a mother. In yoga, to re-center yourself you focus on your lower abdomen. Mine has a history, it has held three lives. It is a place of creation, welcoming my creativity.
I decided to revisit this creative area using the voice, which is also a reflection of the intimate self, in order to embody a fluid power. I discovered that the space including the vocal cords and also the cervix are physiologically affected by hormonal activity. So it is quite conceivable that a woman’s voice is shaped by her body. I am seeking the feminine energy underlying my own being to better embody and to emanate living, fluid yet gentle power.
