Deserting Las Vegas

An explanation is in order.

Last year I joined forces with Eternal Tour for the 2011 edition: Deserting Las Vegas. The mission was to develop and conduct a stage show for four (although in the end we turned out to be six) performers based on a libretto written specifically for this project. Then, during December we were to tour the States from New York City to Las Vegas, performing at 9 locations counting the premier in in Geneva, and the upcoming grand finale, also in Geneva. In total we were 11 people travelling, divided between what we in our european naïvete believed to be a monstrous camper (the families at the RV parking lots had us SCHOOLED) and a mini-van.

For 25 days we journeyed from one extreme to the other. Between the frenzy of NYC, laid back family life in Greensboro, traumatizing hot chicken in Nashville, roadside motels, Alma: the capital of spinach,  spectacular decadence on the famed Las Vegas Strip, harsh and unforgiving winds in the deserts of Death Valley and perhaps the very end of the world at Synergy Ranch in New Mexico; is it redundant to say it’s been a fundamentally unforgettable experience? Probably. But I just can’t help myself.

Every venue we performed in was different, from a car mechanic’s workshop to a jazz club/kitchen, traditional theatres, the desert and a beauty salon turned into a nightclub, just to mention a few. Of course, we had to adjust the performance accordingly, never knowing until the same day or the day before exactly what to expect. Like space warriors we faced each oily floor and complicated ceiling arrangement with bravery, not completely unappreciative of the game elements produced by such a challenge.

At SEEDS in Brooklyn NYC

VOX POPULI, Philadelphia

Setting up in Greensboro, North Carolina

Warming up, Death Valley

Death Valley

The Beauty Bar, Las Vegas

Emergency Arts at The Beat, Las Vegas

Yes. This is all I’ve got for you right now. I would also like to extend an enormous heartfelt thank you to the team of Deserting Las Vegas for taking me on and sharing this completely delirious adventure with me, and especially to Donatella Bernardi without whom I would probably never have met any of you and would most likely be a zillion experiences poorer. Srsly you guys, from the depth of my non-french heart, YOU ROCK! Here’s a cheesy group shot:

XOXO

Photographs by Donatella Bernardi.

Shambolic and delirious (but with lucid intervals)

As I came too this morning I found myself alone, in my empty (due to previous chapter of voluntary homelessness) student room with my big black bag, tangled hair and a bar of soap. No coffee – impending disaster. To escape the void I swiftly made my way down to Skeppsholmen and my beloved, dearly missed studio, where I made an effort to take the edge off my caffeine withdrawal, hugged my computer and logged on. Inbox Horreur. Before I attempt any explanations, my thoughts need to be gathered beyond that elusive minimum of coherency as I waddle through the e-mails of december and surprisingly mild winter conditions of Stockholm… Yet at the bottom of the glass I find one echoing thought: Conquering the desert (metaphysical or otherwise) without you is alot harder than I expected.

Bisous.

(photograph snapped by Anne-Laure Kénol)

Deserting Las Vegas – Geneva

From the dress rehearsal at Auto Service de la Jonction on the 30th of December.

© Christian Lutz

Follow the tour day by day: http://desertinglasvegas.tumblr.com/

Bonjour, girl!

The first week in Geneva is almost over and I’m…..more or less exhausted. Although I really cannot complain. My music is cool, there is a pole I can use when I like and I’m more at ease with my surroundings this time (or perhaps I’m just in a good mood today because I treated myself to an enormous latte and walked around with it looking at art for an hour). Of course there is that damn lunchbox I have to hold forever and carefully lift myself down from but all that will be fine by thursday.

Since I spend more time alone here than I normally do, I’ve also had a chance to stop and just think. Mostly about random stuff, like how good it would feel to wake up one morning and have forgotten all about your past and who you are, why the french language often describes things by defining what they are not (ce n’est VRAIMENT pas bien), how to survive in a city where supermarkets close on sundays and whether or not it is nuts to agree to cross the Atlantic and another continent with a bunch of nuts – in extension: am I nuts? But also things with higher risk potential and more layers [LOL: the french keybord makes a z where the y is, and I accidentally wrote 'lazers' which I found pretty hilarious], you know, unexpected radical life changing decisions and such. But there is a time for that and it will come later, right now I must face Geneva again for a stroll down to the Rhône with my camera… And so I say:

Bonjour, girl! – there must be more than this provincial life.

Goodbye…..for now

I’m heading out for a while, a psychedelic roadtrip to Vegas lies before me. Will be back with epic stories in 2012.

You. Just. Wait.

The birthday and other tales…

1. Happy Hatchday

Because of a big, rapidly approaching project I spent all of my birthday at NPS, passionately engaged in choreographing my solo for the upcoming adventure.

Although I must say, it was not completely without celebrations. My beloved boss for instance presented me with the sexiest and most diabolically delicious chocolate cake as well as the biggest fucking flower bouquet I’ve ever seen. Furthermore I had a danish man cook me a magnificent three course dinner very late at night and received a birthday kit with practical items from my mom. All in all, a remarkable birthday filled with sweat, stretching, chocolate and food, I couldn’t be happier.

2. JULIETTE

Last Saturday I took some time out of my busy schedule to see ”Juliette” as performed by Turteatern, a small theatre company based in a Stockholm. And srsly, They’ve got the MOST skill and ingenuity up in that bitch, lemme tell you… I was so impressed with their solutions for transforming that text into a stage production (admittedly, before the show I was slightly apprehensive concerning the execution, because in my own embarrassing small-mindedness I couldn’t see a way of tackling all the difficulties with presenting such a…. voluptuous piece of writing without either ridiculing it to bits or turning it into a base, violent and destructive orgy of pointless gore.), somehow they managed to keep all the layers of philosophy, politics, depravation and sexuality that I love about the story of Juliette and let them slowly unfold to the audience without sacrificing or compromising it’s crude CHOCOLATE-PUDDING-IN-YOUR-MOTHERFUCKING-FACE qualities.

Something should also be said for the attention to detail and charming sense of humour that ran consistently through the show, one favourite of my audience ally and mine was the ”YES WE CAN!” sofa in the background. My tits off the the whole ensemble for creating this brilliant play, and I hope that the audience will continue to grow. Also, this coming week end is the last chance to see it, so if you’re in Stockholm (and understand swedish), buy some tickets and bring your friends for this type of genius needs to be spread. SPREAD!

3. Soft Cream White and Pale Opaline Grey (herein unfold my binaries)

My mysteriously mysterious performance went very well. 7 persons live to tell the tale, unfortunately there will be no more installations of this work apart from two very special requests. But do not fret! There are more performances to look forward to, among others my looming contribution to Power Distortion 2 in 2012.

Another tangent on this subject

Just a few moments ago, youtube directed me to a long forgotten source of twistedness, emotional growth and childhood trauma. I used to watch this over and over on a VHS tape from FUJI (yes, I’m that kind of old), with the title on the label written in blue ink, all capital letters, slightly slanted. I would sit too close to the television and cry my eyes out through several parts of the movie. Was it the eerie musical score, the gloomy dialogue or the damp colors? Was it the nasty octopuses or the whale hunters of epitomised evil? Was it the existential mood, overhung by fear of being completely defenseless in an unforgiving and dangerous world? Was it the dancing walruses? Was it all of the above?

THAT’S OK

To see my performance Soft Cream White and Pale Opaline Grey (herein unfold my binaries) an appointment needs to be made. Contact me for available times and further details [louiselindvall @ gmail.com].

Pole Art 2011

So, I went to Helsinki for this year’s edition of Pole Art. The Mind was thoroughly blown.

Male Champion, Edouard Doye

 

Female Champion, Oona Kivelä

 

Intellego Pole Company

But tell me, where is the next whiskey bar?

Yesterday I came back from the ”Deserting Las Vegas” rehearsals in Geneva. I have now met the crew and the cast, we had boiling cheese and worked on singing, staging and making sense of the libretto. The result? Two solos to prepare, one simple choreo + a few lines to learn and a roller boogie move to perfect. Without revealing too much I think december is going to be a very interesting month.

Also, jade improved :]