Erase-e(x)

Inspired by the painting Erased De Kooning Drawing (1953) in which Robert Rauschenberg erased a drawing of Willem De Kooning and in doing so made it substantially his own, Joji Inc has imagine ERASE-E(X), a multi parts project in which several choreographers are invited to erase and recreate the preceding one.

It stars with a dance material provided by A.T de Keersmaeker. The Wooster Group of New York erases this prologue. Then is erased by A.T de Keersmaeker who is erased by Isabella Soupart who is erased by the Video performer Kurt D'Hasealeer etc.

Prologue dance material by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

Part 1 : The form of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker dance is erased by The Wooster Group in stages as each choreographic gesture is infused with the psychological content of Godard's "modern women", capricious, royal, mysterious.Directed by The Wooster Group; Interpretation: Johanne Saunier Music: Georges Delerue (original film soundtrack of Contempt -JL Godard), 25min

Part 2 : A.T de Keersmaeker takes back all the Wooster Group's material, erases any psychological content to create a virtuoso piece danced to the Indian percussion music of Umayalpuram Sivaraman, and Dolly Parton ' s"Jolene".
Choreography A.T De Keersmaeker with the collaboration and Interpretation by Johanne Saunier 16 min

Part 3 : Isabella Soupart deletes the second part and creates a piece between theater and dance. A duo/duel with a touch a cruel thriller. A feeling of emergency. Of a man facing a woman he thinks he recognises. a complex story slowly revealed itself. Physical and rhythmical tainted of a laced cinematographic naturalism with humour and drama. It is the deconstruction of the text and movement that gushes with its entire force into this direction.

Directed by Isabella Soupart; Interpretation: Charles François, Johanne Saunier, Scenography Jim Clayburgh. 20min

Part 4: Kurt D' Haeseleer infiltrates the subconscious of the previous parts and
resurrects BB(Brigitte Bardot) after her fatal car crash in Le Mépris.
She duets with a parabolic  antenna while it is scanning the surrounding space and transmiting images of a hidden reality. An odd love/hate relation develops  between her and the antenna and the question arises: "Who controls who? "

video performance: Kurt D' Haeseleer; choreography: Joji Inc ; Light design: Jim Clayburgh; Performer: Johanne Saunier; video operator: Benjamin Lasserre; Sound operator: Philippe Arnaud ; Assistante vidéo: Shalbatra Jashari. 20min

Part 5: Georges Aperghis, founder of the musical text genre erases the sens of body ownership. Within a rapid stream of words, four intricated voices are catching words, elaborating sparks of women or more likely Une Femme. A composition for one digital voice with three bodies... or for one body with voices.

Musical text: Georges Aperghis; Interpretation: Anna Massoni, Julie Verbinen, Johanne Saunier ;Scénography Jim Clayburgh. 18min

Part 6: In part 6 Johanne Saunier is attempting to reexamine her own body (with others) after it has been shifted, morphed, changed, modified, used as a simple voice, resisting the process of erasing herself.

Interpretation: Anna Massoni, Julie Verbinnen, Johanne Saunier ; music: joji Inc/ Alex Fostier;Scénography Jim Clayburgh. 18min

To be continued...

Total Length of the 6 parts: 2h-
Parts can be performed separately

Created in 2004 and 2005 within le "Sujet à Vif", co production SACD/ Festival d'Avignon

Best dance performance 2006; Les Inrockuptilbles

(.) une chorégraphie pleine de vivacité, de punch, de vituosité.(...) on est soufflé par la puissance et la rapidité de ce solo éblouissant.

Jean Marie Wynants, Le Soir, 26/03/05

(...)le concept transposé à la danse fourmille de trésors, d'énergie, pour composer une soirée dense, intense.

Marie Baudet La libre Belgique 25/03/05

(...) Johanne Saunier, in the Wooster Group's choreography touched [the public] with the quality of her interpretation. Irritated, she dances on the original soundtrack of Jean Luc Godard's Contempt. A tribute to whim, to nervousness , to tormented female beauty....

Marie Christine Vernay en Avignon, Libération, 15/07/04