Sutra analysis (themes, starting points, collaborations and dancers) Flashcards
What does Sutra mean?
Thread - in Hinduism and Buddhism, it is a term given to a collection of aphoristic verses linked by a common theme
What are the key collaborators?
Antony Gormley, Szymon Brzoska, Ali Thabet and the Shaolin Monks
What is the significance of the title Sutra to the piece?
Shows the differences between the east and the west and how Larbi connects them
How did Gormley contribute to the work of Sutra?
He designed the boxes which were 60 x 60 x 180 cm and are 32 kg - while Larbi integrated these boxes entirely into the movement
What is Gormley’s past experiences with the monks and the culture?
In 1971, he spent almost 3 years in India living in monastries and practicing meditation while also contemplating being a monk
In 1979, he got a degree in sculpture at the London Slade School of Arts
Since, has been a long-term collaborator with Larbi
What was the process of creating the music?
Brzoska created the music separately then went to rehearsals to refine the pieces with Larbi working collaboratively
He didn’t want the music to be stereotypical in anyway and wanted to stay true to his own minimalistic style
What is Brzoska’s music style?
His works explore the synergy between music, movement and image
Contemporary avant-garde and minimalistic style
Through his music, he creates a world of diverse colours, specific atmospheres, intimate and personal emotions and conditions of the mind
What was Ali Thabet’s contribution to Sutra?
Thabet liked Larbi’s style to break strict categorisation
He had experiences at the Shaolin Temple and both grew up fascinated by Bruce Lee movies
He acted as a ‘mirror’ to Larbi to see how a Western character would fit in with the dance - they would watch each other, improvise and discuss
Treated working with Larbi as an opportunity not a challenge
Context of the Shaolin Monks
-The Shaolin Temple is the key national Buddhist Temple and the monks follow a strict Buddhist doctrine
-Kung Fu and Tai-Chi martial arts are an integral piece of their daily regime
-Prohibits violence in Shaolin monestry but have been learning the fighting techniques for centuries - enigma
-Exploring the faith and philosophy of the Shaolin had always been a life-long interest of his
What are the roles of the dancers?
-Larbi = The Foreigner - the Western character (mainly reinforced by his costume)
-Monks = East - Monks of Shaolin Temple (Eastern cultures and traditions)
-Young Monk = thread/connection between the east and west
What is the Shaolin Temple?
This is the key national Buddhist Temple which is situated at the Song Mountain, the central sacred mountain, which over the years has housed thousands of Shaolin Monks
How is ‘Old China’ Vs. ‘New China’ a key theme in Sutra?
Urbanisation and digitalisation are happening simultaneously in China due to its rapid economic growth resulting in a far more modernised and developed country
What are the main key themes?
-Buddhist Philosophy - contradictions and juxtaposition of the body and mind
-East vs West - freedom and containment
-Cherkaoui’s spiritual journey while at the Shaolin Temple
-Building and destroying
-Games - balance between expectations and surprise
What are the sources of movement?
-Larbi’s hybrid form of contemporary - yoga, contemporary euro crash, hip hop and street style
-Kung Fu - 11 traditional forms
-Shaolin Kung Fu - incarnate different animals
-Interactions with the boxes - using improvisation tasks
-Improvisation from Shi Yandong - one of the monks
-The score - created before the piece and inspired by the landscape and morning prayers in the temple, references to traditional Chinese music (didn’t want it to be stereotypical) and played live to respond to the dancer’s movement
-Images - love of drawing ( for example a pirouette = a circle
What are the starting points of the work?
-Visited the Shaolin Temple - escape the western world
-Temple’s leader - interested in the arts
-Strict, disciplined and simple lifestyle
-Atmosphere of calm and serenity
-Differences between east and west
-Shaolin philosophy - recycling energy - life after death
-Inspired by Bruce Lee and Kung Fu - release of energy, spirituality and discipline
