Sylvie Guillem

Words of Sylvie Guillem excerpts from Sylvie Guillem Documentary 1994

1/4
She was the star of the Paris Opera Ballet and when she left them to come to London to become the principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet in 1989 it caused a stir in her native France similar to British reaction to selling a traditional national part in treasure. Jack Lange, the Minister of Culture, had to answer questions in the National Assembly. 

Since her arrival in England, she has been ecstatically received by audiences and she has deeply divided the critics. Rumors of her reputation as Madamoiselle Non were compounded by her unwillingness to give any interviews.

It took four years before she agreed to direct to Nigel what was making this profile. However, once she agreed I think you’ll agree she cooperated with remarkable candor, even overcoming the reluctance to be filmed in performance.

All the dance footage in this program, except for the archive film of course, has been especially shot for the South Bank Shore. [?]

2/4
All dancers would kill for it. She always had a personality that hit you on stage. Very fine limbs. Very, very fine feet, and feet that were able to do things that normally very beautiful feet find difficult to do. Where she takes the stage, you can’t teach people to do. Tremendous steely strength.

3/4
Really exceptional because from the very beginning she stood out. She was different. She was already dancing with facilities and an instinct that you very rarely see. And we followed her flying up the ranks. We were nearly impatient from the beginning to see what she would become.

4/4
If you look at photographs of British dancers even before she arrived on the scene, you’ll see that they were all trying to keep their legs just as high as she is. It’s just that she is the one with the physical ability to do it best and to do it most impressively and to make the audience watch it.

1/17
I act like apparition when I was very young. I was very shy, but at the same time I was very open because I was very curious so I wanted to try many things.

2/17
With other kids, you feel [abandoned??]. It’s very hard. Physically it’s hard, and mentally also it’s hard. We used to call the small kids at school the little rats because when you see little kids of 6, 7, or 8 running in the corridor…

3/17
It’s to be afraid. I am afraid. That’s it. 
You don’t know what you’re going to do. You don’t know if you…

4/17 
She returned to her native city to an ecstatic response from audiences, and after her first appearance, Madame Chirac gave her the freedom of the city.

5/17
It was after her first performance of Swan Lake, New Year’s Eve 1984, Rudolph Nureyev stepped forward and publicly promoted her to the ultimate rank of dancer [inaudible]. She was just 19. 
Now, of course it’s incredible to be suddenly…

6/17
Because from the very beginning she stood out. She was different. She was already dancing with facilities and an instinct that you very rarely see. And we followed her flying up the ranks. We were nearly impatient from the beginning to see what she would become.

7/17
That I would not have the courage to leave. And I did have the courage to leave. They were quite surprised. 

8/17
My way of being was completely different than the people in the Royal Ballet. And I was quite direct. I would say, ‘I like that,” and ‘I don’t like that.’ I think that in England you don’t say that you ‘don’t like that.’ You don’t say it like this, anyway. And it took me a while to realize that. I think it was too late at this time already.

9/17
You learn fast and how can you remember all these steps. I don’t know. I mean if you ask me to learn the text, it would take me ages, but steps and maybe the music, maybe the movement, the body feelings help me to do it. I really don’t know.

10/17
And aristocratic at the same time.
But she couldn’t stand the rules. And she had a lot of fights with everybody. And I think that [inaudible] with me.

11/17
Because it’s a gift. I was lucky to have gift, I admit. But I worked a lot and this is difficult for everybody to work. And it’s also difficult when you have gift to know that you have to work and to understand. Because it’s also easy to stop where you are and use the gift you have. Doesn’t give good things in the end.

12/17
They always thought that I had something of myself because when I go on stage, I just give myself. It looks too simple to say that but I never try to analyze. I never had the plan, ‘I’m going to show that,’ ‘I’m going to give that.’ I just do what my instinct feels at the time. That’s it.

13/17
I never mind if they say, ‘You should do that because it’s beautiful, because it’s important, because it’s new, because it’s violent, because I hate it or you should not do that. But just to say you should do that because it’s the tradition, I think it’s completely nonsense.

14/17
She will listen to a lot of things myself or anyone else who is rehearsing her, but I think she will only really use what she feels suits herself, which is a very different approach to how I was taught as a young artist.

15/17
To take away all this gesture what didn’t mean anything to me. When I don’t feel something on stage, I prefer not to do it than doing something where I feel not comfortable. So I try to put that behind me and do it in another way. That’s why for a long time people think that, ‘She’s too cold. She doesn’t show any feelings.’ They said that because didn’t see what they used to see. They didn’t recognize the gestures that they used to see, so for them I was not expressing anything.

16/17
I think, and not only for myself. I say when you go on stage you have to be…actually it’s difficult to answer…I don’t know if I can explain it. On stage, I am free. I am myself some time. I am somebody else other times. I can express whatever I want. I won’t be judged. So it’s quite comfortable for somebody to have all the possibility in the world and to have all the facet. You can have many faces, many character. You can be violent. You can be in love. You can hate. You can do everything on stage. Everything. In life, it’s much more difficult. Because I mean you don’t live alone. On stage, you can.

17/17
There is in life very communicative and has nothing to say with that. Maybe the fight to be difficult and shy or aggressive or whatever. It gives you something more on stage because it open a gate on stage that you close as soon as you are off stage.

Letter to Ms. Sylvie Guillem – November 11, 2015

November 11, 2015

Dear Ms. Sylvie Guillem,

Thank you very much for your existence. It was the beginning of 1999; I happened to watch the documentary about you filmed in 1994 in London. The way you talk, the content of what you were saying, above all, transparent eyes which I could see through a mile away, dawned on me to proclaim, “Here is at least one REAL person existing!” I realized that I had been missing something significant, seeing such a real person. Immediately I started to downsize my real estate business and start chasing your performances. The very first performance of yours, Manon, I saw in Tokyo in April 1999. 
While watching a stage, I found myself blinded by tears and unable to see the stage. More than several times, I had to talk to myself, “Sober up. I had spent so much money and time to come all the way here. I should not miss precious moments.” I understood every word you had said in the video. In the beginning, I was curious to know from whom you had learned your way of thinking, values. But soon, I realized that you must have learned them by yourself. Being so gifted and genius, you must have felt lonesome because you didn’t find a person like you around. To protect yourself and survive, you had bound to learn to rely on yourself.
To be able to rely on you, you developed your values and internalized them into your system. 
For instance, you have the value, “working hard is important.” You know it, believe it, and do it. It will be internalized like a second drive. You would feel pleasurable working hard. So, doing as you feel like is OK. You said, “On stage, I am free. I can be anything I feel like.” Now you are about to step out of the stage. 
I am sure that you have been learning to feel “free even off the stage.” 

I am just an ordinary person. But I had the mentor to learn to be a real person. I can boast, “I do and say anything as I feel. Yet I am OK. 
I am very spontaneous.” I found “trinity” in three aspects of myself. 
The more I incorporate good values(to me, subjective), the freer to act out as I feel, the freer to act out, the more my self-esteem(ego)expands. For instance, your word, “If you are afraid of loosing something, your self (self-esteem) diminishes.” In human relations, I protest the unfair demand by taking the risk of cutting the connection. Either I lose the connection or force the other party to withdraw the demand, my ego expands. 
The underlining value is to respect truth, the real thing, fairness, authenticity, objective absoluteness. I have to be governed by my absolute truth, which cannot escape SUBJECTIVE absolute truth. Maturity means that my subjective truth gets closer and closer to objective truth infinitely.

You said, “I don’t live for others. I want to live for mine.”
To survive in the given society, we have to be approved by others more or less. 
However, if I live to be approved by me, I can become a better person rather than approved by others because I cannot deceive myself. To be approved by me, I am bound to be a better person.

You said, “I don’t do anything I don’t feel like doing.”
In my value system, I don’t have a prohibition, “Thu shall not……….” Instead, I have internalized values to feel, “I like not doing……..such as killing or stealing for instance.” So just following my feelings, as I feel, is OK, no problem.

You made a statement on the program of one of the performances in Japan, “We dance using our mind, soul, heart, mentality, body, whole heartedly. We believe that this is the way we should perform.” You gave us the audience yourself ultimately. That was why your performances are stunning.

You said, “Essence of everything is nothing. Everything is nothing.”
Sure. You explore into yourself and get in touch with every possible part of your body, mind, mentality, and soul, and you become “transparent” like your eyes. That is the state of nothingness, from where your maximum power would emerge in your performance. When you finish your performance using your whole energy of yours, you will experience “Nothingness,” satisfaction.

You said, “I hate manipulation, being manipulated.”
Sure. Being so clean in your mind, absence of suppressed, distorted feelings, you can detect the distortion of others. Like you can see well in clear air.
You would resent being used.

It is not easy to be a real person and to maintain it. Because it is not easy, very difficult, but it is very important. I only know you and Alessandra Ferri. There should be more, but I don’t encounter.
I am lonesome. 
One has to overcome loneliness. But in the long run, it is very rewarding. Being a real person, practicing being a real person, we are not only mentally healthy but also physically healthy. Look at yourself. Look at Alessandra Ferri. Look at me, Toshiko Honda, 76 years old.

Thank you again for your existence.

Toshiko Honda

Letter to Ms. Sylvie Guillem – January 15, 2005

January 15, 2005

Sylvie Guillem
Royal Opera House
P.O. Box 6, Covent Garden
London WC2E 7QA

Re: Suggestion on “A Month in the Country”

Dear Sylvie,

Enclosed, please find the copy of my letter addressed to Ms. Mason. I am afraid that the original choreography can not be changed. 
However, if you agree with my suggestions, I am confident that you would reflect them on your dancing.

In early 1999, I happened to watch you on T.V., the excerpt of Sylvie Guillem 1993. That was the very first time I knew your existence. I exclaimed, “There is one real-person existing in this world!” The way you talked, the very transparent expression on your face, especially your eyes. 
I found someone who has the same values as mine. Since then, I have started chasing your performances. I saw your Manon in Japan in 1999, 2003 in London; I will see it again on 2/25/05 in London. Pas de Deux in the Swamp is very difficult. Because the movements are limited and not a pretty scene, it tends to be boring.
But, you enact desperation so realistic, powerful. The pas de Deux of the crypt in Romeo & Juliet is also difficult. 
Because Juliet has to dance as a dead body; the movements are limited and boring. But, you are the only one so far who can dance it very exciting. Three times, Jonathan pulls your hands to throw your body over his shoulders. You covertly kick the floor by right foot to gain momentum, and a split second, your upper body is above Jonathan’s head, with your hands extended high. Then your upper body with your hands collapsed on his shoulders. That was very brief as if as an illusion, yet gave a beautiful moment to the audience yet subtle enough that the audience would not feel unnatural movement for the dead body. No other dancer can do such delicate elaborate extra movements. They do as choreographed; being pulled their hand by the partner, they dive over his shoulder. That was instructed and the best they could do. For the audience, it is a boring dead body. You add an extra subtle trick to make the boring to the exiting.
I wanted to see your “In the Middle” so badly. I purchased tickets for all 6 performances in 2002, hoping you would dance, but in vain. (casting was not available when tickets were on sale).

Almost always, I respect your artistry and sincerity in your performances. Many times I was moved to tears. But, I did not like Carmen by E.K., your Giselle, and recent Broken Fall.  

I want to share with you the poems I wrote in 1970.

MY INNER WORLD

I have my own world.
Within it, 
   I am a God
   I am a creator.
   I am a sovereign.
   I am always right.
   Because when I find I am wrong, I will correct myself
My inner world does not cut off the outer world,
   Nor reject it.
Instead, within the outer world,
   Through the outer world,
My inner world exalts and expands,
While it is independent of it.     
THE WAY OF LIVING

When the consequence of a chosen alternative turns out to be unfavorable,
One regrets, "I should have chosen the other alternative."
Even if one had chosen the other, 
the consequence of which might not have been so favorable.
It might have been just as bad.
If so,
There is no better way than to make the best choice at each moment,
      in the given circumstance.
There is no better way than to keep discipline oneself
      To be able to make the best choice at the time.
Best? From what criteria?
Of course, Subjectivity.

Dedicated to Sylvie Guillem in 1970

Toshiko Honda

1999 Sylvie Guillem and her beaming Personality Structure

 April 23, 1999

I did not know the existence of Sylvie Guillem not until the beginning of this year when I happened to view the excerpt of her interview and her dancing on TV in Los Angeles. I was very much impressed with her stunning figure and superb dancing and more so with her pure expression on her face, which was closed up on the screen and the way she spoke and the content of her talking. “She is a real person!” I felt like finding an oasis in a desert. Fortunately, I got a ticket for her performance of Manon in Tokyo. I flew to Japan to see her performance.

Three acts and seven scenes. 
It wasn’t easy long hours for performing sides and spectators’. But, from the beginning to the end, I kept muttering, “Wa…great!” Her beautiful long leg artlessly extended so high and stopped as if nailed in the air. She raised her arms effortlessly, yet she never failed to form grace in each second with her movement. It was more than that Sylvie was acting as Manon. Sylvie transformed to be Manon. Her partner, Jonathan Cope, was also no longer Acting. 
He himself transform into Des Grieux. 
Moreover, even spectators were no longer the audience, being engulfed by the exciting drama of Manon and Des Grieux, they identified with the stage and became themselves Manon and Des Grieux. Amid that excitement, Manon finally fell. 
De Grieux tried to revive her in vain. 
Amid the grief of Des Grieux, the final curtain had fallen. Caution Calls! Among thunderous applause, Guillem and Cope came back to be themselves and faced the audience. 
With a beaming smile, they responded to the audience’s heart. As if they were saying, “Yeah! We did a good job, didn’t we, ha.” padding shoulders of each audience.    

Guillem put her message on the performance program of the following content. “We are actors rather than dancers. With intelligence, sincerity, talent and passion, we will be acting. I do believe that Ballet should be danced as we do.” After the performance, I deeply understood what she meant. Why can she dance so energetic? Why can she express such lively feelings through her precise technique? As she talked in several interviews, she never danced just to be accepted by others. She dances as she feels right.  She disciplines herself to her satisfaction and perfection and subjects herself to self-revelation. The core of her personality structure is to respect own feeling and own value and to establish true self. Her well-integrated and unified personality structure, in Japanese, we have an inclusive word, “Seishin” ( which she calls “personality”) permeate through her movement and Acting and bloom to make Guillem the most sensational dancer. 
There is a lot of dancers who can leap as high as Guillem. There is a lot of dancers who can extend their legs as high as Guillem does. But when Guillem does the same thing, she does not fail to storm sensation. When she raises her leg high and stops it in the air as if it were nailed, there is an overwhelming sensation which is keen to when a great Kabuki Actor does “Omie” (pose for dramatic effect).

Jonathan Cope was also completely transformed as a young man in the 18th century who was captivated by attractive Manon. If the prima donna is Light, he becomes Shadow to make a beautiful contrast. He forms the perfect partner to support a prima donna physically, mentally, and emotionally. He devotes himself, mentally and physically, and emotionally to let a prima donna leap, jump most gracefully. 
Becoming supporting forth, lighting up the prima donna, he proudly exhibited his excellence as a male dancer.

Ballet was born in the culture of “Ladies First.” Under the assumption, “Frailty, thy name is a woman.”, To protect and respect the weak, women are the virtue of gentlemanship to proud masculinity. So, “ladies first” does not mean that “Respect women and look-down men.” Because men are strong and superior, that is the very reason to protect and respect weak women.” So “lady is first.” is still a product of male superiority. As long as westerner male dancers danced Ballet, it was smoothly accepted as foreign art. But when Japanese male dancers dance Ballet, traditional Japanese value, “Respect Men and look-down Women” submerges in the Japanese audience and Japanese male dancers. Japanese male dancers are to dance Ballet, rejecting and fighting with that notion. 

The notion, “How dare keep lifting women’s bud shamelessly. Aren’t you a Japanese man? Shame on you.” To which a counter-response would be, “You, Barbarian! The way you think is anachronism.” Such psychological turmoil will cause self-consciousness and disturb Japanese male dancers to give themselves wholly to act out the role. 
This is the big hurdle for the development of Japanese male dancers in Japan.

There is a theory that “Art is the sublimation of sex drive.” If we define the ultimate sex is how beautifully a man can let a woman feel and let her leap high(ecstasy) and on the other hand, how beautifully a woman can feel and interpret the strength of a man and how high she can leap(ecstasy), then Ballet is a sublimation of sexual drive, that is ART.

When we learn from the personality structure of Sylvie Guillem, “I don’t want to dance to be approved by others. For my satisfaction, as I feel right, as I satisfy, I do give my soul and body, my feeling and mind to dance and act the given role.”, Japanese male dancer will be able to transcend from the obstacle, “It’s an embarrassment to treat women with western manner for Japanese men.”, which derived from traditional values, “Respect men, look down women.”

According to an interview taken by Cristina Cabarillo De Albornoz ( Dec 1997), Guillem said she is fond of Japan. There are still good traditional customs and values that, she worries, may be lost in the course of westernizing themselves. This graceful princess of dance, Sylvie Guillem, is addressing to Japanese, demonstrating a role model by her dancing, “Dear Japanese, please do not lose, KOKORO, SEISHIN, (Japanese words which include feeling, mentality, conscientiousness). In this era, no longer we were molded by exterior force to have them, but, we still can have kokoro, seishin in ourselves for ourselves.”