Non Coupable (1982/1990)
Peggy’s connections with Paul-André Fortier, the ground-breaking choreographer from Montreal, are many but they begin with the acquisition of his solo Non Coupable early in her company’s history. Paul-André writes:
“This solo first premiered in 1982, masterfully performed by Susan Macpherson. The piece was later performed by three other remarkable dancers: Michèle Febvre, Manon Levac and Peggy Baker. Each drew upon their background, experience and physique to plumb the depths of this work in a unique way. Peggy embraced this solo body and soul, crafting the darkest, most nuanced portrayal of a woman caught between her fears and her desires.” PAF
Peggy adds: “I learned Non Coupable from my friend and teacher Susan Macpherson before being coached by Paul-André, and from the first moment he and I were alone in the studio together, a particular mix of responses arose in me that have held true over the years since: awe and some intimidation in the presence of a great and uncompromising artist; intense attraction to Paul-André as an extremely intelligent, funny, physically charged, and outspoken person; fascination and respect for his provocative work; and a direct confrontation with my vulnerabilities and limitations as a dancer.
I performed Non Coupable for the first time as part of my solo debut in Winnipeg in 1990, and I continued to come back to it for another 17 years. The shock and charge of the actions, acts, and images that drive the choreography remain as vivid sensory memories for me: the rumble, scraping strum, and metallic hammer strikes of the prepared piano in Henry Kucharzyk’s searing score; the tight wrap of the costume against every contour of my body, and the binding of the rope on my arms; my vision distorted by the mask; the tremendous weight of the stones, and baring my breast to suckle one; sitting over my heels, knees open, the crack and thud of one stone slamming the other against my crotch. It is an intense piece for both the viewer and performer, but one that stands out for me as an incredible work of art.” PB
Tying together the Creation Catalogue blog posts since late May is the brief critique of Peggy’s 1991 solo show for NYC’s Danspace Project by James Sewell in Ballet Review. Covering Non Coupable, Sanctum, This Isn’t the End, Inner Enchantments and The Volpe Sisters, this review has provided the Peggy Baker Dance Projects’ management team over the years with one of the best pull quotes an arts manager could dream of: “There are good dancers. There are great dancers. And then there is Peggy Baker… From the essence of gesture to the unrestrained explosion in space, Baker moves with eloquence and force. It’s like seeing the human body for the first time.”
The first - and iconic - photo below, taken by Cylla von Tiedemann, supports Mr. Sewell’s thoughts.
From more information on the reviewer, visit James Sewell Ballet here.
The Volpe Sisters (1989)
Peggy Baker Dance Projects has five works from the celebrated New York choreographer Doug Varone in our repertoire: two are commissions (The Volpe Sisters, Heaven), and three are acquisitions (In Thine Eyes, Home, and armour).
When asked about making this first work for Peggy, Doug wrote “It would have been easy to craft something physically sublime for her dancing body but I was interested in challenging both of us to dig deep into a non-dance narrative work that embraced the emotional center of Peggy’s talents. Letting that then define the physical nature of the work was a constant stripping away process of anything remotely dance related. Watching Peggy inhabit this character as an actor more than a dancer was revelatory and an aspect of her artistry I was in awe of.”
Of her performance partners for the piece, Peggy writes: “My original partner for The Volpe Sisters was Janie Brendel, and the duet was a commission for a concert we produced together at Danspace Project at St Mark’s Church in New York City. Janie is thin, with a fragile looking body that belies her strength and grit, and Doug threw her into the position of attempting to manage, guide and calm me as my big boned body pushed and obessed inside the choreography. Janie danced The Volpe Sisters with me in my debut solo concert in Winnipeg, May 1990, and a few months later Doug donned a housedress to perform a studio showing with me at the Amercan Dance Festival. Over the next few years Janie toured with me across the country from Vancouver to St. John’s, plus a hop across the pond to Ghent, Belgium.
Then in 2000, The Volpe Sisters was revived as an opportunity for me to perform with the great actor, Jackie Burroughs. We reconstructed the piece in Toronto prior to a rehearsal week in New York City. Doug is an incredible performance coach and an impeccable director of his work, and it was magnificent to be in rehearsal with the two of them - Jackie opening herself to her character and to the choreography with complete vulnerability, and Doug guiding her with clarity, nuance and tenderness. Throughout our week in NYC, Jackie narrated every street with memories from the 1960s and her time with Lovin’ Spoonful guitarist, Zal Yanovsky. The time with Jackie went deep. The performances with her are unforgettable.”
Deborah Jowitt reviewed the Danspace premiere of the work in The Village Voice in 1989: "Baker...is a woman damaged in some way, watched over almost emotionlessly...Everything between the women is careful and fugitively tender, as if love long ago had eroded into patience.” Read the full review here.
Learn more about Doug Varone and his incredible NY-based company Doug Varone and Dancers here.
Learn more about the story of Jackie Burroughs meeting Zal Yanovsky in Spacing here.
