Paris nostalgia: French ballet Paris-New York-Paris

Petter Jacobsson. [Photo by Ruan Fan/chinadaily.com.cn]

Did you bring any changes to the original three pieces you put together in the dance?

No, not too much. We have to be very honest, every time we make a dance, it's gonna be very different, even for today and tomorrow, it's very different. There's the saying from philosopher Heraclitus, "you can never step in the same river twice", because the river is not the same, and you're not the same. But to answer your question, is it the same choreography, yes it basically is. It is the choreographer's property, so I can't really change it.

How did you select your dancers?

When they come and join our company, I always ask them, why you want to join our company. Because it is important for them to understand, that we are in a way in the center, and we are in a way trying think forward, so you have to understand that if we're going to work this way, you have to be open-minded. So you have to be happy dancers, that's number one. And number two, when we work, sometimes it is not easy, so you have to be prepared to think differently. But I also give a lot of responsibilities to the dancers, I say to them, you have to dance, not me. You're on the stage, and you have to be responsible for your dance.

How do the dancers think of the dance?

It's a big challenge for the dancers, because they have to swing, spin and it's very intense for over 60 minutes. What's interesting about the evening is that each piece is very different, and I think it is also very enjoyable for the dancers because they have to change their styles in each piece. We did a lot of research into the dance, in Relache for example, we looked at how they are in compatible with their body. Today's dancers have extreme knowledge about their bodies, and in those days it was more physical and direct. It's more intrinsic and presentational.