"Mein Tanz, mein Leben" ("My Dance, my Life") a book by Bettina Trouwborst
On September 4th some members "of the fourth State", as well as some other guests, were invited to the Mahler-Hall at the Vienna State Opera for a presentation of Martin Schläpfer's book "Mein Tanz, mein Leben" (My dance, my life) published by the Henschel publishing Company.
For me, a book is one of the most intimate art forms, an opinion which is generally not shared by many. It allows its readers to get to it at the time which is most adequate for them, it allows everyone either to follow a sequence of chapters or jump them or even read them backwards, it is possible to make notes, changes or just mark passages on them and it, this flexible way of enjoying Art, even „belongs" to us – not for a short time like during a performance or in a museum or gallery. Our memory can be refreshed at any time or even when reread, depending on the different phases of the reader's life, be understood in a completely different way. Hasn't this ever happened to you after rereading a book? Or rereading it again and again? It happens to me all the time! The last time, it was not long ago: Just after having finished „The House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton while I was forming a “new opinion once more”, after nearly 30 years, I thought of how good it is to have understood it now, in this new particular way... because it touched me more.
But here I am again, going ahead of my „story" without having even started it...
Some months ago, being in contact with the Press department of the „Deutsche Oper am Rhein" and planing some trips to Düsseldorf (which due to the pandemic could not be realised) at Mr Schläpfer's invitation to get to know his work better, I received this book from the publishing company. Reading has anyways always been a passion of mine which during the lockdown, assumed huge proportions. Bettina Trouwbort's conversations with Martin Schläpfer were sort of companions during a short time this last Summer. Why do I say „a short time"? Because the book, a very light one to read, is fluid – and please think of the definition of the word „fluid": „a substance that continually deforms (flows) under external force". Yes, it simply flows into your mind to receive your full attention. I do not mention „full concentration" because it is not required. Yes, the simple, easy-going language in which the book is written is no „demanding literature" but pleasant and entertaining. This is good for a change and I like it.
It is the language of a close, unpretentious, light conversation. Not elaborate at all. Miss Trouwborst described to us, during the presentation an episode in which Martin Schläpfer used an expression commonly used in „Swiss German". Although she did not understand it first, she had to keep it in the book, because it "gave away" a part of his personality. I thought more about his dynamic and it made me think of the famous interview/film from Maximilam Shell and Dietrich (by coincidence also a Swiss and a German) who, although speaking the same tongue, were sometimes quite far away from each other and this not only linguistically. Of course, that our „spoken thoughts" are the result of our mentality – which are also a result of the country we were born and grew up in. Yes, the language that we first learned and spoke has more than a role to play in our dynamic!
I did not quite understand the author's mention and the way that she highlighted the fact that even having made interviews, she could construct a „biography" from them. I do not see anything extraordinary or exceptional in this kind of working process – most biographies of „living persons" are built that way. That is a fact.
Unfortunately, some parts of the book are a bit disappointing. A lack of (the necessary) research gives away a certain superficiality in what knowledge of dance outside Germany is concerned.
I would not call her work „inaccurate", that would be too harsh a word. I would simply prefer to say that it is at times not well enough researched. Passages speaking of „The Viennese audiences' conservative reputation", obviously not knowing that The Vienna State Ballet does not breathe only Princesses, Princes, Tutús, Tiaras and Waltzes are unnecessary. Also, questions that imply on Mr Schläpfers move to Vienna to „modernise the State Ballet", give away a lack of knowledge of what she is writing about and the fact that during the last years the company not only danced Neumeier, Balanchine, Robbins, Forsythe, Kyllián and Van Manen but also Duato, Tharp, Elo, Bombana, McGregor, Liang, Proietto, Peci, Eifman, Lukács, Lidberg, Clug, de Bana and many others. Parts like these disappointed me profoundly. There are so few books about dance being written, I had expected more accuracy.
We should mention and praise the very contemporary (On purpose I make no use of the word „modern" which became more and more „dated" with the passing of the years) lay-out and the exquisite solution to present the photo material. „Booklets" in a smaller paper format than the book (also the glittering paper is qualitatively much higher than the matte, opaque paper of the reading part – were such huge characters really necessary?) A very good solution – also regarded from the cost factor side. The book has altogether 160 pages – and this means exactly 10 paper sheet rolls of 16 sheets – so we can see that German printing houses are still financially very „conscious" of what they’re doing. A good thing – also ecologically. Never „misuse" paper!
From the many „tours" that we could take into Mr Schläpfer's way of thinking, I kept two thoughts of his with which I completely agree:
„When people comment on a piece and say „I did not understand it", I think: They must feel it. Not understand it - That's all there is to it!"
The second one is more complex. At the beginning of the (Viennese) Season 2019/20 (exactly on September 2nd), one year ago, I published a thought that Mary Clarke published in a 1971 issue of „Dancing Times": „There is no task less rewarding than trying to put on paper the action of a Ballet and an account of the accompanying music": I enjoyed to find out that Mr Schläpfer either does not care for the spoken/written word when it concerns the dance that he creates, and thinks similarly to the way Van Manen and some others do. Spoken, written descriptions are not necessary. Dance is a language all its own.
A professional who can separate his two sides from another – the director and the artist, a man who says „Just when all fears are defeated, you are not blocked". I can understand that very well.
The book presentation itself could be divided into two parts that steadily alternated with each other during this one-hour „conversation" between him and Miss Trouwborst and dynamically moderated by Miss Anne do Paço (The new Head of the Dramaturgy department): The part in which the book was discussed; its creative process, its layout etc. and the one in which Mr Schläpfer spoke about himself, his ideas, his visions... Perhaps his directness is not easy for others in Vienna to relate to, especially because, due to the internationality of the Austrian Empire, the language here developed itself very differently from the one in Germany.
But I shall not reveal any of this more „personal" issues. It is all in the book and you should buy it and read it to make your own picture. I do recommend it!
I am also sure that we will get to know Mr Schläpfer in a much better way, by viewing his work. Understanding it. NO, correction: Feeling it!
Ricardo Leitner
September 7th, 2020
