CHOREOGRAPHY
Early in my career with Paris Opera I started to create choreography.
I was encouraged in the beginning by Rudolf Noureev. In 1985 I was awarded
the Carpeaux Prize for choreography for the piece Clair-Obscur. As Noureev
was an active supporter of my work, his departure from Paris Opera and
then his death has left in me a wide empty space. His approach to dance,
his exigency towards himself and others, his open spirit and his freedom
from following fashionable trends impressed me. I started to make my first
pieces of choreography at the period when the "Jeune Danse Française"
movement was in full expansion. Having the opportunity to dance in and
watch some of the works of the choreographers related to this movement,
I was at times influenced by them, however I retained some of the aspects
of "ballet" in my work.
I continued in this manner for a number of years, making choreography
for different ballet companies in France, and abroad (Spain, Paraguay).
My choreography has also been danced by a number of principals and soloists
of Paris Opera in gala performances, movies and competitions in France
and abroad (Japan, Russia, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Greece. ..)
After being a dancer of Paris Opera for twenty years I was offered a creation
ford the company in the Palais Garnier. I decided to make a ballet about
the theatre itself ,using the structure of the corps de ballet and of
the stage, highlighting the common origin of ballet and of perspective
which is embodied in the architecture of the Italian theatre. Costin Miereanu
the composer I approached decided to write a score for the full orchestra,
a deed not undertaken for twenty years. The work, Orison, suggesting through
the costumes the loss of identity of the ballet dancer becoming an illusion,
ended up being quite controversial and complex.
Wanting to realize my own aspirations
I left the Paris Opera Ballet in 2000 and moved to Tokyo. Japanese have
a curiosity about ballet tradition which has meant my work in Japan has
at times taken a classical form as in my new version of Swan Lake (inspired
by the original story by Begitchev and Geltser, prior to Petipa's.)
and the ballet "Esquives".
With some distance, I am more able to understand the complexity of my
experiences. Living in Japan brings new questions and an expansion of
my horizons. The understanding of my culture through another point of
view and the discovery of another culture are new source of excitement
for me which will have some influence on my future work. Building a work
is often for me an occasion to look for the reconciliation or the cohabitation
of elements supposed to be opposed to one another.
CV
CHOREOGRAPHER
Press Extracts
A discovery, the only one, fallen directly from the heavens onto the stage:
Arrastre by Pierre Darde... beautiful as it is deadly... There is still
hope when the unchangeable institution of the Paris Opera allows such
respectful rebels as this to develop within it.
Liberation 17 11 86 Brigitte Paulino-Neto
Pierre Darde's Red Fish...Soloist at the Paris Opera, Darde is not only
a very interesting dancer but also a choreographer full of ideas...
Les Saisons de la Danse Gerard Mannoni
The last part of the evening began with a fine, visual, musical and arithmetic
ballet by Pierre Darde, a genuine choreographer who has a sense of movement
and space but who has no interest in showiness or the obvious.
Ballet 2000 Nov 1990 Rene Sirvin
Pierre Darde, a Paris dancer and choreographer of promise- if indebted
to Roland Petit...
New York Times Anna Kisselgof
Pierre Darde's Carnival of the Animals offers 4 dancers...who impersonate
the menagerie in dances that are off-beat, and often pertinent about beasts.
They are also funny - but Darde's ideas have something more than jokiness
to them, and he uses the great stage well. The piece was admirably danced...
Financial Time 8 7 1993 Clement Crisp
The best part of the performance is reached when Laurent Hilaire comes
back to give a dazzling interpretation of a Pierre Darde's solo: Lame...
Laurent Hilaire flames this inspired choreography...
La Tribune de Geneve Jean-Pierre Pastori
Because of their inhuman perfection, we adore his ballerinas in white
tutus and in black stockings, perverse creatures worthy of Helmut Newton's
pictures.
T.G.V. Spectacle 30 5 1999 Christophe Deshoulières
Until now there was not a lot of chance to see Darde's works in Japan
so this was a good opportunity to understand his style. The conclusion
of which is that he is a great choreographer. I was amazed by his excellent
understanding of music, which is as good as that of Balanchine...
Dance Magazine 2002 Kumiko Murayama
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