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Maurice Béjart: A Small Swiss City Gets a Big Ballet Company
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13624 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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8 / 1988 |
2,400 Words |
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Mavis Guinard
Mavis Guinard, a writer on the arts, lives in Switzerland. |
In June 1987, celebrated French choreographer Maurice Béjart's contract with Brussels' Theatre de la Monnaie was coming to an end. Learning that Béjart was not planning to renew it because of budget problems and a personality conflict with director Gérard Mortier, the small Swiss city of Lausanne made a decisive bid to underwrite the running costs of the Béjart company.
The Belgian capital had hosted Béjart and his company for twenty-seven years, ever since Béjart's successful production of Stravinsky's Rites of Spring launched him into international fame. If the Belgians were upset, so too were the French cultural officials, who had hoped to lure perhaps the world's most popular modern ballet company to Paris. But despite matching offers, Béjart stood by a decision taken while on tour in Leningrad. "I am not a football star trying to push up bids between rival countries; I'm a lover and a servant of dance." He added, "I like Lausanne. I am not a big-city person. I have friends here; I like being close to the lake and the Alps. Lausanne is cosmopolitan without all the distractions of a large capital. It's a fine place to create."
Other considerations may have been involved. Lausanne's exceptional road and rail connections certainly simplify the logistics of moving seventy people, trunks of costumes, and stage properties when the company goes out on its frequent tours. Lausanne's new and strong interest in dance is evidenced by the Prix de Lausanne for junior dancers, a new competition for young choreographers, and a project to create a dance museum.
Two Million Swiss
... (1938 of 14116 Characters)
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