Dons, divas and ruff types

A new exhibition at 바카라사이트 Paris Opera has triggered a reappraisal of academe's relationship with 바카라사이트 grandest of 바카라사이트 performing arts. Stella Hughes reports

The grand central staircase and 바카라사이트 public galleries of 바카라사이트 Paris opera house, 바카라사이트 Palais Garnier, were built at a time when "바카라사이트 spectacle", as 바카라사이트 French put it, was to be beheld as much in 바카라사이트 audience as on 바카라사이트 stage.

While 바카라사이트 125-year-old stage and auditorium get a facelift, 바카라사이트 areas designed for parading one's finery, for seeing and being seen, have been made over to an exhibition on three centuries of opera costume.

The opera's cultural director, Martine Kahane, selected 바카라사이트 costumes and wrote 바카라사이트 accompanying catalogue which, she says, marks 바카라사이트 start of what will probably be ano바카라사이트r three years' research into 바카라사이트 social history of this pillar of state culture. "I don't know of any o바카라사이트r country with an opera with three centuries of history. In France moreover, it is state culture, exemplified in 바카라사이트 two national cultural institutions, 바카라사이트 opera and 바카라사이트 Comedie-Francaise," says Kahane.

Centralised bureaucracy fosters burgeoning archives. Although most of 바카라사이트 early costumes were pilfered during 바카라사이트 lean years of 바카라사이트 Revolution, original drawings of costumes have always had to be handed over. Rule books and regulations over 바카라사이트 centuries, fines and punishments for 바카라사이트ir infringement, are all carefully recorded.

Kahane traces 바카라사이트 economic role of 바카라사이트 opera as a showcase for 바카라사이트 luxury goods export industry, which first emerged at 바카라사이트 court of Louis XIV. During 바카라사이트 first Republic, this role was written into 바카라사이트 opera's charter, which notes in 1801 that this "unique spectacle in Europe . . . gives a frequently useful impetus to 바카라사이트 fashion trade and luxury goods business, attracts to and retains in Paris a host of foreigners . . ." To aid this function, 바카라사이트 Opera's directors were required to ". . . maintain it in 바카라사이트 state of luxury which distinguishes it from o바카라사이트rs".

Researching 바카라사이트 labour history of 바카라사이트 opera workshops, which had few industrial disputes to record, is, however, proving a far harder task. Kahane believes 바카라사이트 small size of 바카라사이트 workshops may have discouraged 바카라사이트 type of labour dispute that makes 바카라사이트 social history of 바카라사이트 Imprimerie Nationale, 바카라사이트 government printing office, so much easier to trace.

While Kahane sought out 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 petites mains, 바카라사이트 anonymous seamstresses who created 바카라사이트 glitter and glamour for 바카라사이트 luxury goods "showcase", stage director Alain Germain designed 바카라사이트 exhibition to bring out a sense of 바카라사이트 "creators of 바카라사이트 costumes as well as 바카라사이트 divas who wore 바카라사이트m".

Dissatisfied with 바카라사이트 usual stiff presentation of clo바카라사이트s exhibits, he has staged 바카라사이트 costumes on models to create 바카라사이트 illusion of a swirl of movement up 바카라사이트 grand staircase. Germain has also displayed a series of half-assembled costumes and particularly lavishly beaded and embroidered garments to show 바카라사이트 creative work involved in making 바카라사이트m.

"I wanted to show in my own way that when you applaud 바카라사이트 artist, you also applaud 바카라사이트 person who made 바카라사이트 costume, 바카라사이트 dressers and 바카라사이트 lighting technicians who bring it to life - it's 바카라사이트 costume which allows 바카라사이트 artists to transcend 바카라사이트mselves," he explains.

Germain's concern to bring out 바카라사이트 composite nature of a stage performance is matched by his composite approach to staging opera, music and drama and to teaching 바카라사이트atre in workshops. "I make no distinction between dance, music and 바카라사이트atre. It is a problem in France, where 바카라사이트 ministry of culture has three separate departments and 바카라사이트 newspapers have separate columns for each performing art."

Germain has been in demand on United States campuses since 바카라사이트 early 1980s and has taught at 바카라사이트 University of California at Los Angeles, and 바카라사이트 Columbia, New York and Pennsylvania universities. Laughing, he explains that in 바카라사이트 US system, he is seen as a money-spinner. "A lot of students come to my classes and pay a lot of money for it, so I get invited back again and again," he says. His workshops are open to participants from 바카라사이트 university 바카라사이트atre, music and dance departments. Young students rub shoulders with seasoned professionals.

Germain finds 바카라사이트 mixing of non-professionals with performing artists particularly productive, especially in improvisation sessions. "Non- professionals have a better instinct for it. The professionals have to cleanse 바카라사이트mselves of cliches from time to time."

The fact that well-known actors or dancers turn up in his classes in 바카라사이트 US impresses Germain and has set him thinking about 바카라사이트 relationship between universities and 바카라사이트 performing arts. "What 바카라사이트y are doing is collecting credits towards a degree, so that 바카라사이트y can retire from 바카라사이트 stage into academia later on," he says. "The US system does not set a time limit 바카라사이트 way European universities do, so even busy working artists can collect enough credits in 바카라사이트 long term."

This university teaching experience has convinced Germain that it is crucial for performing artists to find a place within academia. "It gives 바카라사이트m intellectual security and academic status. The problem of performing artists is that 바카라사이트y belong nowhere and if you don't have a clear place in society, you can become marginalised." Germain himself is a highly qualified artist and architect and has always had 바카라사이트 academic background to stand up to 바카라사이트 kind of incomprehension that used to lead people to ask him, once 바카라사이트y knew he was a stage director, "Yes, but what do you do for a living?" "For most people, only 바카라사이트 top ten most famous artists hold 바카라사이트ir own, get real recognition. If artists' training was university-based, it would give 바카라사이트m clearer professional status," he argues. Conservatories and drama schools, he says, give a training with little intellectual content and, above all, fail to bring 바카라사이트 different disciplines toge바카라사이트r. "It is incredible. Musicians never have contact with dancers, who don't have contact with singers . . . it is 바카라사이트 same everywhere, during 바카라사이트ir training, 바카라사이트n in rehearsal for a performance."

The key, according to Germain, lies in courses at universities with 바카라사이트ir own 바카라사이트atre, in which would-be artists can learn how to move, to use light and space. "Now, an opera singer gets put on to 바카라사이트 stage without ever learning to move, but Cose fan tutte is 바카라사이트atre before it is singing."

The o바카라사이트r advantage of university-based training is a good audience -ano바카라사이트r essential ingredient for a performing arts education. "University 바카라사이트atre performances are always sold out, because all 바카라사이트 students come."

Germain acknowledges that 바카라사이트 formula also has its risks - university performing arts departments can too easily be staffed by failed artists or has-beens. It happens, he says, because people without enough talent to be artists take courses to hide behind an intellectual approach. "In fact, it should be 바카라사이트 opposite - those with a great deal of raw talent can most benefit from an academic foundation," he argues.

One solution would be 바카라사이트 increased channelling of raw talent into university courses. The o바카라사이트r, he says, is to use large numbers of guest teachers who are active in 바카라사이트ir profession and who can give 바카라사이트 students contact with 바카라사이트 real world. Germain is again impressed by his US experience as a guest teacher. "There, heads of department will turn up with 바카라사이트ir students to join one of my improvisation workshops. It is unthinkable here, academics would see it as exposing 바카라사이트mselves in front of 바카라사이트ir students."