“Blue Lady”, Carolyn Carlson's mythical solo, has left unforgettable images all over the world, crystallizing the dreams, hopes and emotions of thousands of spectators. Venetian blinds, the red dress unfurling around the dancer, the final kiss carried away on an entrancing melody: images of La Carlson that haunt the imagination. First produced on 11th October 1983 at La Fenice in Venice, it has now been entrusted to Tero Saarinen, the charismatic Finnish performer and choreographer. Profoundly linked by a common artistic outlook, the same aesthetic and their Finnish origins, Carolyn Carlson and Tero Saarinen respond to each other like yin and yang. A correspondence revealing the fullness of lives whose spiritual dimension expands the movement. “Blue Lady” offers the magic of these shared intimacies with the audience, precious moments which touch the soul, leaving radiant memories in the heart. These intense artistic relations permit that rare gift of a work reinvested by another being, an additional physical layer. A piece borne on the vital flame of its interpretation and in the eyes in which it is reflected.

Source : CCN Roubaix Nord-pas-de-Calais

Credits

Chorégraphie Carolyn Carlson interprète Tero Saarinen musique originale René Aubry scénographie originale Frédéric Robert lumières originales John Davis, Claude Naville lumières Peter Vos costumes recréation Chrystel Zingiro 

Production Centre Chorégraphique National Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais coproduction Biennale de la Danse de Lyon, Le Colisée - Théâtre de Roubaix avec lacollaboration de l'Atelier de Paris - Carolyn Carlson
Réalisation vidéo Charles Picq date du document vidéo 2008 production Maison de la Danse 

Durée de l'œuvre 1h

Dancer-choreographer Tero Saarinen began his career as a dancer at the Finnish National Ballet in 1985. His solo career took off in 1988, after he won first prize in contemporary section of the “Concours International de Danse de Paris”. Despite his success as a soloist, he left the Finnish National Ballet in 1992 to seek new influences in contemporary dance in Western Europe and Japan, where he studied traditional Japanese dance and Butoh from 1992 to 1993. He has worked with several internationally renowned choreographers and is still considered one of the world's most significant dancers of his generation.

Saarinen has made more than 30 creations during his career. He founded his own group in 1996 as a canvas for his choreographic work. Apart from his work for Tero Saarinen Company and teaching his movement technique, his handiwork can also be seen in the premieres  commissioned by several other prominent dance groups.

As a choreographer Saarinen is known for his unique movement language that plays with balance, and off-balance. Influences ranging from Butoh and martial arts to classical ballet and Western contemporay dance can be seen in his style. His works, which have won wide international acclaim, are characteristically total artworks : combinations of unique choreography, strong performers, striking visu    als, and often, live music.

Source : Tero Saarinen Company 's website

More information

terosaarinen.com

Author, filmmaker and video artist Charles Picq (1952-2012) entered working life in the 70s through theatre and photography. A- fter resuming his studies (Maîtrise de Linguistique - Lyon ii, Maîtrise des sciences et Techniques de la Communication - grenoble iii), he then focused on video, first in the field of fine arts at the espace Lyonnais d'art Contemporain (ELAC) and with the group « Frigo », and then in dance.
   On creation of the Maison de la Danse in Lyon in 1980, he was asked to undertake a video documentation project that he has continued ever since. During the ‘80s, a decade marked in France by the explosion of contemporary dance and the development of video, he met numerous artists such as andy Degroat, Dominique Bagouet, Carolyn Carlson, régine Chopinot, susanne Linke, Joëlle Bouvier and regis Obadia, Michel Kelemenis. He worked in the creative field with installations and on-stage video, as well as in television with recorded shows, entertainment and documentaries.

His work with Dominique Bagouet (80-90) was a unique encounter. He documents his creativity, assisting with Le Crawl de Lucien and co-directing with his films Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux and 10 anges. in the 90s he became director of video development for the Maison de la Danse and worked, with the support of guy Darmet and his team, in the growing space of theatre video through several initiatives:
       - He founded a video library of dance films with free public access. This was a first for France. Continuing the video documentation of theatre performances, he organised their management and storage.
       - He promoted the creation of a video-bar and projection room, both dedicated to welcoming school pupils.
       - He started «présentations de saisons» in pictures.
       - He oversaw the DVD publication of Le tour du monde en 80 danses, a pocket video library produced by the Maison de la Danse for the educational sector.

       - He launched the series “scènes d'écran” for television and online. He undertook the video library's digital conversion and created Numeridanse.

His main documentaries are: enchaînement, Planète Bagouet, Montpellier le saut de l'ange, Carolyn Carlson, a woman of many faces, grand ecart, Mama africa, C'est pas facile, Lyon, le pas de deux d'une ville, Le Défilé, Un rêve de cirque.

He has also produced theatre films: Song, Vu d'ici (Carolyn Carlson), Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux, 10 anges, Necesito and So schnell, (Dominique Bagouet), Im bade wannen, Flut and Wandelung (Susanne Linke), Le Cabaret Latin (Karine Saporta), La danse du temps (Régine Chopinot), Nuit Blanche (Abou Lagraa), Le Témoin (Claude Brumachon), Corps est graphique (Käfig), Seule et WMD (Françoise et Dominique Dupuy), La Veillée des abysses (James Thiérrée), Agwa (Mourad Merzouki), Fuenteovejuna (Antonio Gades), Blue Lady revistied (Carolyn Carlson).

Source: Maison de la Danse de Lyon