La vie de bohème (1993)

Solo Dance

Aug 17

Composer Michael J. Baker was always aware of the tremendous privilege of being able to devote himself entirely to music. He played trumpet as an orchestral musician and in the horn section for R&B groups, funk bands, and new music ensembles; he played guitar in Toronto coffee houses with his songwriting partner John Lent in the 1970s; he sang everything from early western choral music to back-up vocals and folk songs; played percussion for dance classes; doodled on piano, violin, and saxophone; he composed; he conducted; and he hand-copied parts for a host of composers in the days before computers. A favourite phrase of his that captured his surprise and joy at working full-time as an artist was “Ah! La vie de bohème!” So when we set out to make a work together for the first time in 15 years we took that phrase as a title and starting point.

Writing a two-part score for clarinet virtuoso Robert W. Stevenson (one part was recorded to tape, and the other played live), Michael also drew illustrations that followed the musical lines for me to use as a map for my dancing. The finished work included projections of details from Michael’s dance score as white line drawings on a black scrim. Bob’s playing felt to me like beat poetry and my dancing felt simply like listening, and digging it. - PB

"she's all angles...tight...funky" - Susan Walker, The Toronto Star

related links

Listen to a range of original compositions by Michael J. Baker on YouTube and on michaeljbaker.org.

Hear Allen Ginsberg teach “Literary History of the Beats” in audio lectures recorded in 1977 & 1981 on Open Culture.

credits

choreography, costumes, performance:
Peggy Baker

original music and visuals:
Michael J. Baker

clarinet:
Robert W. Stevenson

lighting design:
Marc Parent

premiere

Toronto ON
November 25 - 28, 1993
Premiere Dance Theatre
CIBC Dance Series

subsequent presentations