Threads of unity: the transcultural tapestry of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s contemporary dance and theatrical production “Sutra”

Year 2024, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 31 - 48, 30.03.2024

Gvantsa Ghvinjilia

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10673304

Abstract

The article deals with the transcultural connections in choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, artist Antony Gormley, and composer Szymon Brzóska’s production “Sutra”, the main character of which tries to study Chinese martial arts, Buddhism and share European culture with them. scientific research contributes to developing the multidisciplinary research of modern choreography in general. The importance of research is determined by filling the gap that exists in scientific research of “Sutra”. The purpose of the study is to study the points of intersection of European and Eastern culture in the “choreographic score”, sets and music. This goal implies studying the following sub-problems: to establish the relationship between the symbolic choreographic language of the “Sutra” and Chinese painting; to research the fusion of elements of ancient Chinese martial arts and avant-garde choreography; to investigate how the main character of the spectacle modernizes the choreography language with techniques of ancient martial arts. The research, undertaken from a historical perspective, encompasses descriptive, comparative, and critical scientific analysis methods. The research is based on the choreographic production itself and media reviews. Based on the set goals, the process of analysis will be conducted in two phases: (1) determining the main idea and goal of the production. An exploration of how the main character tries to study Eastern culture, and martial arts philosophy; (2) to study how the authors of the play reflected the differences and coincidences between Western and Eastern cultures in the choreographic narrative. It is the research on these issues that constitutes the scientific novelty of the article. In the conclusions, it is emphasized that the performance combines European choreography, and scenography, with the features of Chinese painting and martial arts. It is determined that the European traveller tries to harmoniously combine oriental martial arts and European choreography. Sets and music play a huge role in conveying the idea of intercultural connections. Brzóska expressed the poetics of martial arts with romantic music while the fighting spirit of monks with minimalist music. Considering the findings and results obtained in the research, this masterpiece of choreography is recommended to be included in courses on the history of dance and choreography.

Keywords

Avant-garde choreography, Chinese monochrome painting, minimalism, Buddhism, intercultural connections, expanded tonality.

References

• Beaton, R. (2010). Historical Poetics: Chronotopes in Leucippe and Clitophon and Tom Jones. In Bakhtin's Theory of the Literary Chronotope: Reflections, Applications, Perspectives edited by Nele Bemong, Pieter Borghart, Michel De Dobbeleer, Kristoffel Demoen, Koen De Temmerman, and Bart Keunen, 59–76. Gent: Academia Press. https://d-nb.info/1096751003/34.
• Burt, J. (2010). Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's <em>Sutra</em>. September 28, 2010, HuffPost. An American progressive news website. Updated Dec 6, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sidi-larbi-cherkaouis-sut_b_734307
• Cherkaoui, S. L. (2021). Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.east-man.be/en/35/Sidi-Larbi-Cherkaoui
• Dokras, U. (2020). 10). The Lotus in Buddhism. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.academia.edu/42781898/The_LOTUS_in_Buddhism
• Duguid, H. (2008). A box of delights: Antony Gormley's „Sutra“. The Independent. A British online newspaper, May 21, 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/a-box-of-delights-antony-gormleys-sutra-831379.html
• Eastman, (2010). About Eastman. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.east-man.be/en/10/Eastman
• Kipling, R. (1889/1994). The Ballad of East and West. Rudyard Kipling's Verse: Definitive Edition (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1940): 234-38. Representative Poetry Online. Retrieved December 11, 2023, https://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/content/ballad-east-and-west
• Kovalevsky, Y.V. (2009). Mir prostranstva v peizazhnoi zhivopisi srednevekovogo kitaya (Х-ХГѴ vv). [The world of space in landscape painting of medieval china (X-XV centuries)]. Abstract of the dissertation for the scientific degree of candidate of art history. Barnaul, Russia.
• La Rocco, C., (2010). Warrior-Dancer Monks, as Smooth as Silk. The New York Times, 2010, Nov. 3. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/arts/dance/04shaolin.html
• Liu, S. Review of Sutra dir. by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Asian Theatre Journal, vol. 35 Number 1, Spring 2018, pp. 192-199 (Review). Project MUSE, Retrieved December 11, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1353/atj.2018.0020
• Loria, N. (2014). Baletis Istoria. [History of the Ballet]. Tbilisi: Tbilisi State Conservatoire
• Ma, Y., Warrior monks dancing? Whoever imagined that! SHINE. 2019. Nov.15. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.shine.cn/feature/art-culture/1911156167/
• Mackrell, J. (2008). ‘I want to stay here forever’, Wed 23 April 2008, The Guardian. A British daily newspaper. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/apr/23/dance1
• Men, A. (1992). Istoriya religii: v poiskah puti, istiniy I zhizni: v 7 t. Tom 3, pod red. Belorusets A. Z. [History of Religion: In Search of the Path, the Truth and Life: in 7 volumes, Volume 3, edited by Belorusets A. Z.]. Moscow: Slovo
• Muggleton, L. (2020). Structure of Sutra. A resource for teachers and students. 34-35. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Muggleton, L. (2020). The Shaolin temple. A resource for teachers and students. 16-16. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Muggleton, L. (2020). Interview with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui: direction & choreography. A resource for teachers and students. 18-21. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Muggleton, L. (2020). Interview with Szymon brzóska composer & pianist. 22-23. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Muggleton, L. (2020). Cherkaoui discusses his influences & subject matter. A resource for teachers and students. 8-10. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Muggleton, L. (2020). Szymon Brzóska. A resource for teachers and students. 13-13. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Naranjo Rico, M. (2010). Contemporary Dance History. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.contemporary-dance.org/contemporary-dance-history.html
• Numeridanse. (2014). multimedia dance platform. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.numeridanse.tv/en/dance-videotheque/sutra
• Shahar, M. (2020). Introduction to Shaolin martial arts. A resource for teachers and students. 1-74. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Sheptunova, I. (1987). Iskustvo Indii, Kitaia, Yaponii I Arabskogo vostoka [Art of India, China, Japan and the Arab East] in the book: Ocherki istorii iskusstva. [Essays on Art History]. Moscow: Sovetskiy hudozhnik. pp. 90-158.
• Vaghi, K. (2013). Action in stillness: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and the Shaolin monks in Sutra at Sadler's Wells. Bachtrack, a London-based international online music magazine. 05 April 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from http://bachtrack.com/review-sadlers-wells-sidi-larbi-cherkaoui-sutra-ali-thabet
• Voronin, S. (2009). Klasicheskaya kitaiskaya peizazhnaya zhivopis, kak virazhenie garmonii lichnosti hudozhnika I mira. [Classical Chinese landscape painting as an expression of the harmony of the artist’s personality and the world]. Abstract of the dissertation for the scientific degree of candidate of art history. Barnaul, Russia.
• Zueva, E., and Zuev, K., (2015). The Concept of Dominance by A. A. Ukhtomsky and Anticipation. In Anticipation: Learning from the Past, Cognitive Systems Monographs 25 edited by M. Nadin. Springer International Publishing Switzerland. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://lib.ipran.ru/upload/papers/paper_23989878.pdf.
• Web sites Web 1. https://dancetabs.com/2018/03/gallery-sutra-by-sidi-larbi-cherkaoui-antony-gormley-with-monks-from-the-shaolin-temple/
• Web 2. https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sutra-Resource-Pack.pdf
• Web 3. https://picryl.com/media/dong-qichang-mountain-landscape-google-art-project-6f33fc
• Web 4. https://picryl.com/media/rest-stop-for-the-khan-9632c7
• Web 5. https://festival-avignon.com/en/edition-2008/programme/sutra-24603
• Web 6. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/ballet/sutra-sadlers-wells-still-extraordinary-years/
• Web 7. https://vimeo.com/202670621