Ulysse (ballet)
[5] The initial writing of the piece dates back to 1980, after Gallotta returned from the United States, where he had worked with Merce Cunningham, and won prizes at the International Choreographic Competition in Bagnolet (in 1976 and 1980).
[3] For Jean-Claude Gallotta, however, this ballet was already in some ways a reworking of choreographic material from his previous creations, in the manner of what Cunningham described as "events",[6] i.e. a succession of selected, mastered pieces assembled for the occasion.
The creation of these various little pieces originated in the period 1976-1977, when Gallotta studied with Cunningham and discovered a chondromalacia that handicapped him and blocked his ambitions for a career as a dancer.
This research led to the creation of a sketch entitled Sept Airs de cuisines, made up of movements on the spot and occasional hiccups, which later became the choreographic basis for Ulysse.
[10] Gallotta came up with the title of his ballet at the end of the writing process, referring to Odysseus' quest for knowledge of the world: "Like Homer's hero, I saw in it my own exile and the impossibility of reaching my own choreographic shores".
[2][3][12][13][14] Gallotta, both in terms of content, with his incessant runs and large-scale lateral movements from left to right and right to left, led by series of small, agile steps, and in terms of form, with the impact of the immaculate white costumes and sets, as well as Henri Torgue's heady music,[13][5] marked the revival of group dance through his choreographic writing, strongly influenced by the uninterrupted movements of Trisha Brown[15] and the work of Lucinda Childs, a pupil of Cunningham.
Ulysse was to be a pivotal piece for the choreographer, and the one he would revisit most frequently among his creations, notably for the purposes of transmission to new members of his company[2] and entry into institutional repertoires.
Interestingly, despite having changed the work on a recurring basis over the past twenty-five years, Jean-Claude Gallotta claims that Ulysse is not his favorite piece, but simply the one "people talk about all the time".
This version paid explicit tribute to New York choreographer Yvonne Rainer, whose name is mentioned in the middle of the piece by a dancer with a megaphone.
Jean-Claude Gallotta worked with Mathilde Altaraz, his partner and dancer, to rewrite Ulysse, adapting the piece to the new stage and ballet ensemble arrangements.
In 1996, Les Variations d'Ulysse won a Victoire de la musique classique award in the choreographic production category.
This latest composition, based on electronic music, was much more violent and mechanical, creating, with the space illuminated zenithally by a sixty neon ceiling lamp projecting a harsh light just above the dancers, a very particular atmosphere, deliberately harsher and less vaporous than the previous versions.
In this, Jean-Claude Gallotta returned to his work on Trois générations, based on the juxtaposition of each dancer's interpretation and singular movements according to the age of their bodies.
[13] Gallotta himself performed, like an Aoidos or a Ringmaster playing the white clown, microphone or megaphone in hand, pacing the stage or sitting on a small stool upstage.
