When the 16 dancers of the Biennale College Danza took to the stage at their performance of When I am facing you, a new work by the celebrated Chinese choreographer Xie Xin, they were not wearing leotards. Instead, for the duration of the 30 minute performance — an emotionally exposing and unruly work — they writhed, stretched and spun in what, on first inspection, looked like heavy denim and tank tops. The lights were dim. The music by Sylvian Wang felt dark and industrial. The dancers looked like revellers in a night club.
The performance was inspired by that exposing nature of silence, how it opens us up and forces us to scrutinise ourselves, and be scrutinised. Supported by Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy himself was responsible for creating those costumes. From the stalls of the theatre, Xin’s miracle was unfolding, but for the weeks prior — as she choreographed this piece with her troupe of dancers, Matthieu was finding a way to implement his design trademark: making something look like something it’s not. The result is a blend of silk and viscose twill that looks and moves like denim does.
Like Matthieu, Xin too operates on instinct. When Xin was a child, growing up the Jiangxi province of south-eastern China, they knew that dancing brought them a “simple and unspeakable inner happiness”. Today, it still stands: her body reacts to music in the same way a child’s might when they hear it.
From there, she studied at Guangdong Dance School, going on to join the first ever modern dance company in China, the Guangdong Modern Dance Company and the Tao Dance Theatre, before starting her own titular company in 2014. Here, Xin unpacks the inspiration for When I am facing you, and what it was like to work with Matthieu Blazy on its costumes.
The title of the piece, When I’m Facing U, is interesting because it alludes to the idea of “U” being another person, when in fact it feels self-reflective. I wondered, as the choreographer behind this, how self-reflection impacts the work you make?
My choreography expresses those feelings that can’t described by words or languages or cannot be observed directly. It’s the original feelings between the human beings that we share. It is the moment in my life that my body can really remember. I do believe that everybody has that moment. The “You” [in the title] is you, but also is the someone important to you. It can be yourself or even the right moment in which you find that silence.
You said the seed of this piece was ‘softness’. Can you talk about how you bring that into such a kinetic medium?
The softness of the heart allowed me to meet the more honest side of myself. The body’s softness, relaxation, can help us listen to each other more. Softness is a kind of base, from which tremendous energy can burst out of. It’s a kind of letting go.
Matthieu worked on the costumes for this piece, and what struck me was how unorthodox the outfits appeared in the general context of dance. Can you describe these garments and their relationship with the piece?
[Bottega and I] had a Zoom meeting in which I shared my original intention and ideas I had on my mind about the garments being both oversized and fluid. At the same time, Matthieu shared his new research and concept, all in silk/viscose twill printed to look like photorealistic denim, an exclusive technique that Bottega Veneta has developed. It was a very interesting process.
When I received the draft design, I was itching to work on it. After the fitting, when I really touched the fabric, my heart felt soft. The dancers can really feel the softness and the fabric. They enjoyed themselves while dancing in it. Not only that but I was also aware of the details of the costumes inside and out, [it] made me admire how talented Matthieu and Bottega’s team is, and their passion for contemporary dance.
You worked for weeks with these dancers to create this piece. How did you feel after those curtains had closed?
It was a journey full of love and trust. I felt their warm hearts. I am so proud of them.
Credits
All photography courtesy Bottega Veneta