Walerski's choreography was inspired by the Piano Quintet in A minor by Camille Saint-Saëns. A romantic classical composition, at times a very daunting source of inspiration for Walerski, that greatly influenced his artistic choices.
Directed by Louise Narboni, this documentary showcases how Walerski creative process, together with the NDT 1 dancers, results in an extraordinary choreography.
I made this piece for ten dancers, on music by Camille Saint-Saëns. This French Romantic classical music creates a huge challenge. It's a very demanding piece that has been a clear, and sometimes overbearing guide in how to dive into the movements, which heavily informed my decisions as a choreographer, though I wanted to be pushed this way. I consider the work to be abstract rather than it to have a story. To me, it's a study of many things, not in the least a study of the music. In preparation of creating a new work I often collect many images. I also like to listen to the music over and over again. This helps me to be ‘conducted' by a composition. During the creative process there isn't much consistency, only that changes are inevitable.
Medhi Walerski
This documentary follows the production of GARDEN – the ballet created by choreographer Mehdi Walerski for the Nederlands Dans Theater in September 2016. The film is a coproduction of NDT, Mezzo and La Belle Télé, with the support of France 2.