We travelled to Ottawa to see Peter Quanz’s Rodin/Claudel danced by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. We met Peter a couple of years ago through a close personal friend and have been following his career ever since. A protege of former RWB Artistic Director Arnold Spohr, Quanz’s career as a choreographer was launched when he was handed a graduation present by Spohr of three phone numbers of three well-known artistic directors with European dance companies.
Quanz worked with each of these AD’s and in addition to gaining a lot of knowledge, he also made great contacts. More than a decade later he has worked with some of the top ballet companies in the world and has established an impressive career as a ballet choreographer.
There is no established training process to become a choreographer in the ballet world. The usual components for an aspiring ballet choreographer include professional training and a dance career with an established company, exposure to multiple choreographers as a dancer and a process of physical self-discovery, learning what your own body is capable of and testing its abilities and its limits.
Rodin/Claudel, a full length work, with a music collage of mostly well-known compositions by French composers, explores the relationship between French sculptors Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel. The strongest element of the production were the 12 sculptures/dancers who danced and interacted with the protagonists and other “humans”, but spent a great deal of time moving around the plinth (on wheels), the focus of much of the action in the story.
What was missing for me, was the movement exploration of the physicality of the Rodin and Claudel sculptures. So much of the sculptors’ work revolves around the beauty, strength and movement of human bodies. Quanz’s need to move the story line forward in Rodin/Claudel seemed to get in the way of discovering and testing the physical abilities and limits of the Les Grands’ fantastic dancers. There were moments of great visual beauty, specifically in the 2nd act when the dancers/sculptures were able to go beyond just being statues.
Unquestionably a very talented choreographer I believe Peter Quanz is going to need to “dig deeper” to become a “great” choreographer.
Joost - Always Moving Forward! 