In spring 2020, French choreographer Raphaël Cottin talked to Lise Gagnon (Executive Director of the Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault) about his creative process and recent productions. Marie Tissot wrote a fascinating and beautifully illustrated article about it, in which she describes how Labanotation inspired the artist’s creative process and community arts activities.
Marie Tissot notes how, for Cottin, the Laban system is an alphabet, a vocabulary and a language. He explains the importance of using symbols in his work, because symbols are richer in meaning than words. For Cottin, “Being trained in the writing of movement changes the way you look at movement itself.” The one-of-a-kind choreographer is currently working on a piece titled Laban Horror Show, inspired by the life and work of Rudolf Laban.