{"id":74695,"date":"2022-04-06T10:58:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T14:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=74695"},"modified":"2022-04-06T12:48:56","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T16:48:56","slug":"interview-anne-plamondon-talks-storied-career-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2022\/04\/06\/interview-anne-plamondon-talks-storied-career-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Anne Plamondon Talks About A Storied Career In Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dancer\/choreographer
Dancer\/choreographer Anne Plamondon in ‘Only You’ (Photo: Michael Slobodian)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Montreal-based Anne Plamondon, 47, is one of the best-known and best-loved contemporary dancers in the country. On Apr. 8 and 9, she is bringing to Harbourfront Centre her new duet Only You<\/em>, which she performs with American dancer James Gregg, It is, in a word, a very big deal.<\/p>\n

Ballet trained, Plamondon started her career with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens before moving on to Nederlands Dans Theater ll, then Portugal\u2019s Gulbenkian Ballet. Returning to Montreal in 2000, she performed with well-known choreographers such as Jean Grand-Ma\u00eetre and James Kudelka.<\/p>\n

Plamondon is, perhaps, best known for helping to establish the break-out Montreal company RUBBERBANDance Group, where, between 2002 and 2015, she was a dancer, and later co-artistic director. Under choreographer Victor Quijada, the company became an international darling, fusing classical ballet with hip hop\/b-boying. Plamondon also found time, between 2007 and 2011, to collaborate on creations with revered Vancouver choreographer Crystal Pite and her company Kidd Pivot.<\/p>\n

In a new twist to her illustrious 20-year dance career, in 2012, Plamondon turned her sights to choreography, where she has won much international praise.<\/p>\n

Via Zoom, Plamondon gave a candid interview where nothing was off the table. She talked about her career, what led her to leave RUBBERBANDance Group, the mental illness in her family, and her current role as a much sought-after choreographer.<\/p>\n

\"Dancer\/choreographer
Dancer\/choreographer Anne Plamondon (Photo: Michael Slobodian)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m curious, Anne. Why did you give up ballet for contemporary dance?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Initially, I was full of dreams about becoming a dancer, but I never thought about the education of dance. Ballet schools create a mould, and you have to fit into it. I had flat feet, so I was going to have to work really, really hard to become a ballerina. Somehow, I needed more than just adapting to a format. When I got into NDT ll, I took off my point shoes and never put them on again.<\/p>\n

Nederlands Dans Theater under Jiri Kylian was considered by many to be the greatest contemporary dance company in the world.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

And in 1994, it was the centre of the world. It was a revelation dancing Kylian. It was my dream dance. The choreography was from a ballet perspective \u2014 every morning there was a ballet class \u2014 but there was freedom in the movement.<\/p>\n

But you never made it into the main company \u2014 NDT 1.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I was there for three years, and it was a great sadness for me. NDT 1 was the top of the mountain, and I never got to the top. Finally, in 1998, I made it to the waiting list for NDT 1, but no one ever leaves, so you stay on the waiting list, and I was in a really low position. I just didn\u2019t want to wait and go past my peak, so I left.<\/p>\n

What were your happiest years as a dancer?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Working with Victor Quijada and RUBBERBANDance, and Crystal Pite and Kidd Pivot. Their physicalities complemented each other, and my tools of dance were applicable for both. I felt fulfilled. I also had the best time touring the world. It was exciting.<\/p>\n

I was shocked when you left RUBBERBANDance Group, as was everyone else, particularly knowing that you and Victor Quijada were romantically involved.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I was 40 years old, and I had just become a mother. It was a turning point. I took time off for motherhood, and began to question my commitment to RUBBERBANDance. The age of 40 has a stigma attached to it, especially for a female dancer.<\/p>\n

I had been happy being a muse to Crystal Pite and Victor, but now a dance career wasn\u2019t enough. I wanted to be creative on my own, and not with someone else. Creating my own solos suddenly became important to me, and I choreographed my first work, The Same Eyes as Yours<\/em>, in 2012. After the success of that piece, people encouraged me to pursue a career as a choreographer.<\/p>\n

How did this transition and questioning affect your relationship with Victor?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It became an either\/or situation. We either ended the professional relationship, or the personal one. I decided to leave RUBBERBANDance, and Victor and I started a new partnership as parents, raising our daughter together.<\/p>\n

Tell me about your daughter.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Her name is Maela, and she\u2019s eight now. She is really into the arts. She does everything \u2014 dancing, acting, singing.<\/p>\n

That first solo, The Same Eyes as Yours<\/em>, was inspired by your father\u2019s schizophrenia. It is certainly a surprising subject for a first choreography. You worked with famed actor\/director\/writer Marie Brassard, so you had strong support.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I was drawn to doing something autobiographical. My father\u2019s mental illness started in Quebec City when I was born, so I never really knew him. For the solo, I did research into his life. When he realized something was wrong with him \u2014 he was having hallucinations \u2014 he admitted himself into the hospital. I had a complex childhood. The family never talked about my father. I never associated myself with the disease. I lived a parallel life to his.<\/p>\n

Because it was my first choreography, I had nothing to lose. I wanted to do a solo show, and I knew a personal story was best. I also needed to share my father\u2019s mental illness with an audience. What I didn\u2019t expect was the reaction. People came up to me and told me about their son, their sister, their husband who was struggling with mental illness. The audience felt the piece was about them. It was my personal story, but on a universal level.<\/p>\n

What is the meaning of the title?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The title of the piece was something he said to me when I visited him at the institution. Ordinarily, he didn\u2019t know who I was, although he had a picture of me, from a ballet I was in, on his wall. Suddenly he said, \u201cYou have the same eyes as me.\u201d It was the first time he recognized me. At that moment, we were the same.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve not just done your own solos. You\u2019ve also done big pieces for Ryerson dance students and Alberta Ballet, for example. In fact, you are quite in demand to create for companies. How is that process away from creating just for yourself?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I was terrified at first, but I found I loved the act of creation, bringing a work to life, discovering how I can live my dance in someone else\u2019s body, sharing my gifts with another generation. There is magic in the room, and I abandon myself in the work.<\/p>\n

\"James
James Gregg and Anne Plamondon in ‘Only You’ (Photo: Michael Slobodian)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the piece you are bringing to Toronto \u2014 the duet Only You<\/em>.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It came out of a very simple desire to bring someone else into my creative process, so I decided on a duet, because I wanted to work closely with just one person. I asked James Gregg, who had danced with Ballet Jazz and Victor. He\u2019s a well-known American dancer\/choreographer, based in Los Angeles. I knew him to be patient and generous. He\u2019s also a mature artist, so I knew things would emerge in the process, and speak to us.<\/p>\n

We started working on the piece three years ago. Five days before the premiere, we were cancelled by the pandemic, so Only You<\/em> has had to be recreated. It\u2019s not the same choreography, but it\u2019s stayed pertinent. I\u2019ve gone deeper into the meaning, exploring places I didn\u2019t have the guts to go the first time around.<\/p>\n

What is it about?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It is about connection, and the urge to communicate. It\u2019s about identity and self-quest, yet even though the two people are together, they still remain two individuals. The piece explores everything that binds us and everything that separates us. It\u2019s about shedding and mutation and changing skin.<\/p>\n

What about the title?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The phrase \u201conly you\u201d has different meanings and emphasis when placed in a sentence. It depends on who is speaking. For example, \u201cOnly you can do it.\u201d \u201cOnly you are going to make it happen.\u201d \u201cOnly you are left.\u201d They are powerful words.<\/p>\n

Can you describe your choreographic process?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I research the intricacies and complexities of dance because I\u2019m most interested in movement clarity. It\u2019s very important to me, to find the precise steps to depict emotions and themes. I like to work with intelligent bodies that can multitask. I\u2019m also adding in more tools, like text, but not to the detriment of the dance.<\/p>\n

Where do you see yourself in the Montreal dance scene?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I think Montreal is lacking in a wider vision of what contemporary dance can be. There seems to be a fixed idea of just what contemporary dance is. For example, I can gravitate around hip hop, modern, ballet. I\u2019ve never stuck with one style, so I\u2019m sort of in my own bubble. I do what I do, and stay focused on my own work.<\/p>\n

What advice would you give to young choreographers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I think that young dancers who just graduated are being pushed into putting on shows too early. That\u2019s a lot to ask of young people in their twenties. I think they should dance for others for a bit to gain experience. I worked with masters \u2014 choreographers who empowered dancers, and that\u2019s who I emulate in my teaching. I love young dancers, but we have to guide them so that they can flower.<\/p>\n

How would you describe yourself?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m a dancer, a choreographer, a teacher, an artist and a mother. I\u2019m also learning new things all the time, and I keep reinvestigating who I am.<\/p>\n

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Montreal-based Anne Plamondon, 47, is one of the best-known and best-loved contemporary dancers in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":74696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[39907,445,20,4967,29,9567],"tags":[40031],"yst_prominent_words":[13340,29879,35179,10817,10668,9351],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Anne-Plamondon-INTERVIEW.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-jqL","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74695"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74695"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74702,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74695\/revisions\/74702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74695"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=74695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}