We sat down for an exclusive interview with the French choreographer, Philippe Lafeuille to talk about his show Tutu.
TUTU runs from 11 – 21 February at The Peacock Theatre London. For more information and to book tickets please click here https://www.sadlerswells.com
TUTU playfully mocks ballet while clearly demanding exceptional technical precision—how do you choreographically balance parody with respect for the form?
The essence of the show is choreographic, therefore demanding. I’ve danced all my life and I still have that same high standard, even though I’m now directing. I respect this art form more than anything in the world; it’s my passion, so dance comes first, followed by theater and clowning and gags. For the classical dance portion of the show, for example, the dancer is on pointe in a tutu, and I wanted the audience to be immersed in a truly classical ballet, with perfectly executed classical technique. I’m playing with the codes, because I know them. A technically rigorous interpretation is essential for credibility.
The show features an all-male cast inhabiting more than 40 characters, often through traditionally gendered imagery. How conscious were you of gender politics in shaping the movement language, and where does humour allow you to go further?
For me, there’s no question of gender in dance: dance is genderless. A dancer always plays with masculine and feminine. I didn’t think about gender at all when I created the show. With this show, I mainly want to demonstrate that with our bodies we can be multifaceted. Humor is a powerful tool for seduction, allowing us to make people laugh but also to convey messages. Humor is quite rare in dance; I’m simply trying to demystify it, because sometimes it takes itself too seriously. Thanks to the humor I weave into the show, it also makes dance more accessible to the audience.
TUTU makes Danse laugh…
After a decade of international touring, what aspects of TUTU have evolved most through audience response rather than initial choreographic intention?
I haven’t changed a thing about TUTU since its creation. You don’t change a winning formula. We’re about to celebrate the 800th performance in London, and I’m the first to be surprised by the show’s success. I often wonder what it is that makes TUTU such a success, transcending time and borders. I also like that it remains a mystery.
You reference London audiences as “curious” and “ready to laugh and be moved.” Does performing in the UK change how timing, rhythm, or physical comedy lands onstage?
I’m not changing anything about the show for London. The show is the same in Paris, Taiwan, or Montreal. However, I feel that the London audience is a discerning audience, with a certain dance culture. There’s a huge range of shows in London, so you can tell the audience is eager for them. TUTU is very close to this Anglo-Saxon concept of entertainment.
The work spans classical ballet, contemporary dance, hip-hop, and popular culture references—how do you ensure stylistic clarity without the piece becoming a collage of jokes?
The stylistic clarity comes from my fabulous performers, who are multifaceted and capable of offering different dance styles with their own specific techniques and codes. When it’s tango, they dance tango; when it’s ballet, they dance ballet, etc. There aren’t only jokes in TUTU; there are also moments of beauty and poetry. Everything in TUTU is choreographed; the love of dance is the essence of TUTU.
TUTU is often described as “family-friendly,” yet it includes partial nudity and sharp satire. What does accessibility mean to you in dance, and where do you draw the line between inclusion and provocation?
There is no nudity in the show; the dancers always wear costumes that correspond to the situation or the story I want to tell. I don’t like provocation; it has never been part of my work. When I created TUTU, I wanted to make a dance show for a very wide audience, and especially for those who say that dance isn’t for them because they don’t understand the codes. I specifically wanted TUTU to give as many people as possible access to dance. Because my project is to bring dance everywhere; dance is my whole life, my passion. I’m a utopian who believes that if the world danced, the world would be a much better place. So let’s dance!