Jacques Heim, artistic director of Diavolo, is one zany Frenchman. His web-only interviews (Part I; Part II) must be seen to be believed. Bravo introduces them with polite restraint: “Jacques walks to the beat of his own drum.” He sure does! We’ve done some transcribing. Keep your ears peeled for the following highlights:
1. Jacques on motivating Nick
“I wanted to take Nick and put him into a washing machine, put in a couple quarters, and spin for a while. And so all the stuff inside will come out and he will yell ‘LET ME OOOOUUUT!’ You know, it’s like, ‘Noooooo!’ And you know, blood will come out, sweat, his hair down, he will come out of the washing machine going, “OK, OK, I’m ready, OK, I’m ready, what do I have to do, tell me,’ and suddenly, like a beautiful little monster/artist/performer will come out. [long pause] Or spank him.”
2. Jacques on Janelle’s classical qualities
“Janelle was what I describe as this great great potential. This great unfinished sculpture that is left alone somewhere and it needs to be taken in, look at it, carved, give direction, give a new center, a new look, a new technique.”
3. Jacques on Miguel’s lines
“Miguel told me, ‘You know, Jacques, I want to be in the atom because I have lines.’ But you know what? I didn’t see any lines. At the end of the day, he went into the atom, I wanted to see some lines, and I wanted to say, ‘Miguel, what are you doing? I didn’t see any lines.’ And he was all over the place, and it was his hair, and you know…and he’s a great guy, and I was laughing so much in rehearsal, you know, I was cracking up, and he’s a great guy.”
4. Jacques’s imitation of the dancers’ attitudes (delivered in a terrible American accent)
“‘Sure, I can dance like that. I probably will win the whole damn thing. Man, I’m good. Yeah, I can do tour jete, pas de bourree, le jazz, le tap dance…I can do it all. I mean, I can do it ALL! Dammit, do it! Do it!’”
