Word from the choreographer

José Navas’ new group piece, Diptych, is set to the music of J.S. Bach. The first part is set to pieces drawn from Books I and II of the Well-Tempered Clavier. The music for the second part comes from the sonatas and partitas (or suites) for solo cello. While in some previous works Navas has collaborated with contemporary composers, here he continues his exploration of the potential for his choreographic vocabulary to resonate with classical music. He had previously used piano for the group piece S (2008) and the cello in Solo with Cello (2001).

José Navas’ work is known for combining extreme technical control and architectural precision with organic, fluid and passionate movement. In Diptych, Navas seizes the opportunity presented by the diptych form to segregate his two sides as choreographer and dance artist. The first part, set to piano, is structured, controlled, precise, angular, and architectural. The ten dancers are following the structure of the music. The second part is entirely different. More fluid, joyous, and improvised, here the dancers are listening to the heart of the music and dancing from it. Relative to previous work, the two parts of Diptych reveal greater classical influence.

The presentations of Diptych at Théâtre Maisonneuve in Montreal, on November 13-14, 2012, were preceded by a brand new solo: Prélude à Diptych. For this short piece, choreographed and performed by José Navas, the artistic director to Compagnie Flak also renewed his collaboration with composer Alexander MacSween.