This was one of those shows where it paid to do your homework. The first thing you needed to know is that, notwithstanding the name, Lyon Opera Ballet is not a ballet company. It is a contemporary dance company and much of their repertory is, well, not ballet. Also, this performance was taking place under the umbrella of the French-American Festival of Performance and Ideas. The purpose of the festival is to showcase contemporary French work. A little more research would have turned up the important nugget that Joseph Melillo, Executive Producer at BAM, chose to book Christian Rizzo’s ni fleurs, ni ford-mustang at BAM precisely because it was challenging. Still, some people who didn't know what was coming bailed out mid-performance and a few hung in just to have the satisfaction of bellowing their displeasure during the curtain calls.
ni fleurs, ni ford-mustang is not going to make it to my top ten list but it was nonetheless an enjoyable piece of theater. It is more performance piece than dance piece and has no narrative, though much is suggested through gesture and costumes. Rizzo’s visual images are arresting, beginning with the image of twenty odd pair of sparkly ruby slippers placed around the stage. Each pair of heels was lit effectively by a tiny spotlight. Three other elements completed the scene: a skeleton hanging from the rafters, a dead animal on the floor and a bright, white screen on stage left. The dancers took the stage, one by one, and began an increasingly complex series of movements that eventually had them adding pieces of costumes. As the costumes were added, the gestures became more complex and archetypes began to emerge: an old woman (suggested by a padded suit), a soldier in a red coat, a dandy in a fine braided coat, a girl in a tutu. The addition of a pair of bird masks that the performers took turns wearing and the juxtaposition of the costumes gave a heightened sense of surrealism to the atmosphere.
Although there is very little actual dancing, the movement is clearly intended for dancers as it is highly articulated and precise. Although one could imagine this being performed by non-dancers, it would lose a great deal of expression. There are indications of tenderness, when the performers reach out to one another and embrace, and moments of portent when fingers are pointed and large tableaux take shape. The sensibility of the work is most definitely French, and the archetypes, including the surreal bird masks, are visually engaging even if they are not necessarily clear to us.