INTERVIEW: James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight on their creation of Ley Line with Yukiko Tsukamoto

James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight of Fabula Collective present Ley Line, their first independent work in partnership Japan Foundation London, since leaving Company Wayne McGregor earlier this year. Ahead of the performance on 08 October, I chatted to James and Travis about the creation of Ley Line and their experiences as dancers and creators.

James Pett, Travis Clausen-Knight & Guest Choreographer Kihako Narisawa in Ley Line

Maya Pindar: What can we expect from Ley Line?

James Pett: Ley Line is a quadruple bill of four very exciting and emotionally stirring works. Three choreographers with all very different voices and movement language. 

Travis Clausen-Knight: Besides three unique choreographers I think you can expect to see very mature creations that connect to human concepts we often overlook. For a small gathering of artists I think these may be some of the most talented people I have worked with. Just the sheer emotion and connection shared will be evident.

MP: Can you tell us how these four works came together?

JP: Fabula Collective's Director Yukiko Tsukamoto is Japanese and wants to bridge the gap between her time living in London and her home in Tokyo. Yukiko asked Kihako Narisawa, a Japanese choreographer based in Switzerland, to join myself and Travis to create work for Ley Line, and her piece a.é.p.s will be presented alongside our work.

Travis and I premiered our duet Informal Between last year at Sadler’s Wells where we first starting working with Yukiko. This duet is the starting point of our Fabula Collective journey - the duet has a very beautiful meaning for the three of us and it made sense for it to return again! Travis is creating a trio SALT to WATER and I am creating a solo entitled Man of the Crowd - based on the book by Edgar Allan Poe.

TCK: Yukiko Tsukamoto is the mind behind a program she is keen to produce. James and myself had already worked on a show with her for Japan and she wanted to expand on it for a London performance. It is because of her that these works are possible and I feel, at the same time, the highly creative energy we all share naturally, if not in such a clichéd sense, was going to bring us together inevitably.

MP: What sort of choreographic processes did you use when creating Ley Line?

JP: In terms of my solo Man of the Crowd, I have been doing a lot of research in the studio. The piece looks at various characters within society. I had to develop the movement qualities and emotional expression to each character specifically. They needed to be distinct. I tend to work very deeply with inner feeling to generate movement. This can be stimulated by images, music and text. From here, I did a lot of improvisation where I would film everything to capture that inner feeling being expressed outwardly in my body. This live capture was the key to me finding the particular movement and emotional language for the ten minute solo. 

TCK: I really enjoy working with a mix of approaches with my dancers as I feel that gets me the most depth of my concepts but also connects me to them individually. I will often generate an open idea that expands gradually as my dancers construct it alongside me. This can be done in tasks or by directly creating on them, where I will in some way question them physically. In this instance we also had a particular set of props, though I don’t want to give too much away. This prop made me explore space and how I can influence a single movement with it. It also led us to consider that a body isn’t always your partner. Sometimes an inanimate object can be an entity all of its own.

MP: Can you tell us a bit about your time in Japan? How did your time there inform your dance practice?

JP: Japan was an incredible experience, to bring modern contemporary works to a traditional Noh Theatre in Tokyo. The fusion of tradition and contemporary dance worked really beautifully. Being a very spiritual theatre, I felt it definitely gave our works a more spiritual sense.

TCK: I love Japan for its culture and richness towards tradition and the new. I’ve always loved popular culture, so seeing so many takes on their own traditions used alongside modern society is very synergistic if you will. I think this somewhat pushed my creative voice and encouraged me to push boundaries on what may be considered odd. Japanese, as well as other Asian movement styles, have intrigued me as there is a fluidity and difference to the technique. Asia in particular has grown something unique.

MP: Have either of you had any mentors or important role models? How have they supported you and/or your work?

JP: I have worked with Richard Alston and Wayne McGregor during my dance career. They have both guided me greatly into the dancer I am now and I am very grateful for this. They both believe in supporting the next generation of dancers and choreographers.

TCK: I’ve never been directly mentored but I have had many people teach me through my experiences with them. Wayne McGregor pushed me in a creative and ambitious sense and I attribute him to really helping me be convicted to my ideas. I like to think that all artists support each other in some small way. Considering our current strenuous times I believe that our communities, in the arts, strive to push the correct message and to shape the world into an ideal, rather than for personal want or gain.

MP: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would be your dream artist to work with?

JP: This a great question, there are many! Some are no longer alive - Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch. Currently I really love Crystal Pite's works.

TCK: Without hesitation I would have worked with the incredible mind of Pina Bausch just to witness her in the studio. Other artists I’m wishing to collaborate with would be Olafur Eliasson, Studio Drifts creators Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn, musician Thom Yorke and also band Solomon Grey. My guilty pleasure would be Sia.

MP: What words of advice would you give other emerging dance artists beginning their own careers?

JP: Work hard, always remain authentic to your ideas, do not waste time in searching for appreciation and fame - always keep the focus on your work.

TCK: You have to go with your gut and push consistently to grow yourself. Hard work is a constant that only gives back to you, so no matter what you choose you must always strive to do your best and be open to what is being said. Respect everything and never look down. Offer your hand out to those who may ask. Everyone knows suffering and wishes to be supported.

MP: Can you sum up Ley Line is just three words?

JP: Hypnotic, emotional, dynamic.

TCK: You, myself and us.

Ley Line is showing at Sadler's Wells on 08 October. Tickets are available here: https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2019/fabula-collective-ley-line/

Maya Pindar