Edited by 編輯：Ava Davies
Translated by 翻譯：Li Ruixue 李瑞雪
Information Provided by 資料來源：DV8 背離劇團
DV8 are a dance and theatre troupe who look to challenge boundaries and subvert preconceptions, whether in their physical performances or in the intellectually challenging issues they grapple with. Set up in 1986 by Lloyd Newson, who remains their artistic director today, they have an equal commitment to the process of creation as they do to their final product. Above anything else, they are unafraid to take risks and create alienating and confounding pieces of theatre that deliberately force their audience out of their comfort zone and into the wilderness.
Their very name is indicative of the work they do: DV8 is an abbreviation for Dance and Video 8, which suggests their total commitment to the practice of visual theatre, and the slight pun on ‘deviate’ suggests their artistic intentions with a sly humour. They use dance to push past preconceptions of what traditional, classical dance can show an audience and demonstrate the power of dance to create works that are severely contemporary and pertinent. Newson’s creation of DV8 arose after studying and performing dance, when although he began to feel technically advanced, he felt that the material he was performing was not urgent or vital enough. Newson’s drive and touch has pervaded every part of the troupe, making them the fiercely dedicated dance powerhouse they are today. There is certainly pain in his productions, but it is combined with the total exhilaration of the way in which this pain is expressed.
DV8這一從事舞蹈和戲的劇團，不論是表演上或是學術方面，都致力於不斷嘗試挑戰各種極限，以及顛覆人們先入為主的觀念。現任藝術總監Lloyd Newson，於1986年創建該劇團以來，產出的作品不論是在創作過程還是最終成品都具有相當的水準。對劇團來講，他們不怕承擔風險，創造出一部又一部總疏離感強、內容混雜的劇作，迫使觀眾脫離看戲時所常有的舒適感覺，帶領他們進入充滿野性的地帶。
DV8 是‘舞蹈和影像’的縮寫。從劇團的名稱不難看出他們的風格，顯露了極力現身於視覺戲劇的意願。賦有狡黠的幽默感使劇團名稱讀起來像是與英文單詞‘偏離’（Deviate）相似，表明了劇團在藝術創作上的意圖。劇團用他們獨特的舞蹈顛覆觀眾對傳統和經典舞蹈的認知，充分展示了用舞蹈是非常重要的當代的舞台表現形式之一。Newson在學習舞蹈表演後察覺到雖然他擁有了高超的舞技，但在表演題材的創作方面始終覺得得不夠嚴肅。之後便有了DV8的誕生。Newson的信念貫穿並驅動了現如今這個以新銳舞蹈而著稱的劇團。雖然在製作過程中困難重重，但克服困難的種種舉動都以令人興奮的方式被呈現在最終作品里。
The work that best sums up DV8’s attitude towards their art is ‘Can we talk about this?’, a production put on at the National Theatre after touring in 2012. Newson tackles one of the most controversial topics in contemporary geopolitics: radical Islam. Using verbatim responses from a variety of different interviewees, all interviewed by members of the company themselves, and using tightly controlled physical movement, the piece stirred controversy easily. But this is just testament to the company’s bravery and their ability to stage new, important works other companies would not dare touch. DV8 consistently maintain that their ultimate focus is the creation of art, and that financial matters are of far less importance than the work they produce.
Their newest production is JOHN, a co-production with the National Theatre that, once again, is a verbatim and dance piece……..
最能表現DV8 創作風格的作品莫過於《Can We Talk About This?》，曾在2012年巡演結束後於英國國家劇院上演。Newson選擇了當代最具有爭議的政治話題：激進的伊斯蘭教主義作為整個表演的主線。這部作品引起了非常大的爭議，表演中旁白部分均使用劇團的演員們對不同人進行採訪的內容，結合經過嚴格控制且令人感覺非常僵硬的舞蹈動作。這一作品表明了劇團的膽識，表明他們想要製作其他任何一個公司都不會去觸碰的主題的決心。DV8始終堅持把劇團焦點放在藝術創作上，作品的盈利問題顯得並不是那麼重要。
他們最新的作品是與英國國家劇院共同製作的《John》，這又將是一部舞蹈和旁白平行存在的劇目……
INTERVIEW
An interview with Lloyd Newson,
conducted by Sita Popat, Professor of Performance and Technology at the University of Leeds.
访谈者：Sita Popat，Leeds大学表演与科技教授
受访者：Lloyd Newson
Lloyd Newson had performed the works of 26 choreographers in four different companies across three continents before deciding to form his own company. Feeling disillusioned with the state of contemporary dance, in 1986 he assembled a group of like-minded dancers and created DV8 Physical Theatre..
Lloyd Newson在组建自己的舞团之前，曾在3大洲，4个剧团内演绎过26位编舞家的作品。因对当代舞蹈的现状感到失望，在1986年他与志同道合的舞者们共同组建了DV8肢体剧场。
What was it about your experiences of performing for other choreographers that led to the creation of DV8?
“The works I was being asked to perform, with rare exceptions, were largely devoid of meaning, regardless of what the program notes said. When you’re trained in a movement aesthetic, it’s easy to be seduced by ‘the look’ of a movement. But what is the point of a pointed foot or a high leg kick? Meaning is constantly sacrificed for the sake of ‘beauty’ and virtuosic displays, so it’s difficult for such a form to satisfactorily speak about complex social, psychological and political issues. I appreciate some people love beauty, the visceral power of movement alone, but after 37 years in the business it leaves me brain dead. I’m fascinated by movement and its relationship to meaning, but I’m not a dance junkie”.
SP:过去演绎别人作品的经验是如何把你引向创建属于自己的DV8肢体剧场的？
LN:在过去，无论作品介绍里写了些什么，除了很罕见的几出作品之外，我表演过的舞蹈作品大部分都没有意义。运动美学的训练很容易把一个人的关注点引向运动的“模样”。但踮起脚尖或高踢腿到底有什么意义呢？意义总因为“美”或技艺展示而被牺牲掉，所以这种形式总不能很有效地讨论复杂的社会、心理及政治问题。我欣赏人们对于美的热爱，对于纯粹肢体运动的力量的热爱，然而在这个行业内工作了37年的我因此几乎脑死亡了。我为舞蹈运动及意义的关系而痴迷，但我不是一个舞蹈疯子。
You completed a degree in psychology and social work at Melbourne University before dancing professionally, and the influence of your studies is clearly visible in your works. Do you feel that there are other choreographers who have managed to speak coherently using dance?
“‘Choreographers’ is an odd word, as it just implies people who arrange steps, in the same way people arrange flowers. The people I admire the most are directors, choreographers and writers rolled into one, like Pina Bausch. I remember when her company first came to Britain in 1980, about a quarter of the audience walked out, many mumbling that it ‘wasn’t dance’. Few choreographers have the tenacity and courage she had to break convention, to offend traditionalists. That’s not to say she wasn’t seduced by beauty but she also wasn’t afraid to have her highly trained dancers come on stage and ‘not dance’.”
SP:在成为专业舞蹈演员之前，你曾于墨尔本大学获得了心理学以及社会工作的学位，这段学习经验对你舞蹈创作的影响清晰可见。对你来说，有没有别的哪位编舞家能够通过舞蹈来有条理地诉说什么事件？
LN:“编舞家”是一个奇怪的词汇，这只意味着编排动作的人，就如同插花的人一般。我最欣赏的人物集导演、编舞家以及编剧的身份于一身，比如Pina Bausch。我记得，当她的舞团于上个世纪80年代来到英国演出的时候，三分之一的观众愤而离场，嘟囔着“这不是舞蹈”。很少编舞家能够如Bausch一般不屈不挠、充满勇气，以打破常规，以冒犯守旧的人们。这并不意味着她没有受到美的吸引，但她并不害怕带领受过高度训练的舞蹈演员们来到舞台上，进行“不是舞蹈”的表演。
Since DV8’s inception, you have conceived and directed all of DV8’s 18 stage productions – with the exception of My Sex, Our Dance, which you made jointly with Nigel Charnock. Which do you consider to be the most significant of your works?
“There are some works that I’ve made which were particularly apt for that period in time. There are a couple that frankly didn’t work, which I’d prefer to forget. I hope I’ve learnt from those experiences, good and bad. I have to remind myself that if you are making work from scratch, avoiding repetition and deliberately taking risks, some failures are inevitable. Our shows are uncompromising and tough in most senses of the word and there have been a few times I’ve wanted to quit and no doubt some people would have been grateful if I had.”
SP:DV8自建立以来，你独立构思并执导了舞团共18出舞台作品——除了与Nigel Charnock合作的My Sex以及Our Dance。在这些作品之中，你觉得哪一出最重要？
LN:我创作的作品中，有一些是特别契合那个特定的创作时期的。有一两个作品不够成功，而我也倾向于忘掉这些作品。我希望从这些经验中学习，无论结果如何。我需要提醒我自己，如果我需要从头开始创作、避免重复以及直面风险的话，失败的经验是无可避免的。我们的作品从不妥协，坚韧、不容易被理解，有几次我曾经想要放弃，我也知道有人希望我放弃。
Many of the people who’ve worked with DV8 at the beginning of their careers have gone on to choreograph for West End musicals, films and major ballet companies. Despite approaches from people like Madonna and Take That, you have avoided commercial work. What are the reasons behind that decision?
“While there are many artists I admire in the commercial world, their artistic sensibilities are generally not mine, although looking at their massive audiences, sometimes I wish they were. If someone could offer me what I have with my own company, time and complete artistic control, they should call me.
“What’s important about DV8’s work is that it consists of ordinary people, not stars. I strive for a sense of egalitarianism within the company. Everyone is expected to muck in and needs to be available for the entire rehearsal period, which is often long and demanding. Inevitably the commitment required to be in the company attracts committed artists. Nigel Charnock and Wendy Houstoun were there in the early days of DV8 and I’ll always be indebted to what they taught me about passion and performance. I’ve worked with many exceptional artists over the years who have given their all to the work and its success is dependent on their talent and integrity. Making a DV8 work is a bit like a religious experience but without God; you’ve got to submerge yourself in the process and believe in it totally.”
SP:许多曾在他们的事业初期与DV8有合作关系的人现在为西区商业歌舞剧、电影以及重要的芭蕾舞团进行编舞。而你除了与Madonna以及Take That等明星合作之外，避免了大部分的商业创作。你是出于什么理由这么做的？
LN:在商业艺术世界有很多我喜欢的艺术家，然而大部分艺术家的艺术感觉与我不同。尽管在看到他们的观众规模之后，有时候我希望商业艺术家的艺术感觉与我的一模一样。如果有人能够提供我充足的资源、时间以及完全艺术指导权，他们应该打电话找我。
DV8作品的重要性在于，这些作品是由普通人共同创作的，不是明星。我希望在舞团内创造一种平均主义。每个人都需要投入，在整个排练过程中都要在场，尽管排练过程一般是漫长而高要求的。自然地，这个要求演员全身心投入的剧团吸引了许多有着高要求的艺术家。Nigel Charnock及Wendy houstoun在DV8组建初期加入了我们，而我仍然对他们关于激情以及表演的教导心存感激。这些年来，我与许多了不起的艺术家合作过，他们为创作付出了所有，而演出的成功与他们的才华以及美好个性密不可分。创作一个DV8演出有一点像一个没有上帝的宗教经验；你需要完全沉浸于其中，并绝对相信这件事。
So what does the future hold for you and DV8?
‘I’m interested in change, of not getting stuck in one way of working and being. DV8’s structure is highly flexible, with a Board of Directors who have supported me to present works about the social and political issues that have preoccupied me. There have been a number of times I’ve made major changes to the way I work; moving from the hard-hitting and aggressive works of My Sex, Our Dance and Dead Dreams in the eighties to the more poetic work of If Only.., and Strange Fish in the nineties. In the last few years the interrelationship between text and movement has become my main preoccupation.
SP:你和DV8的未来会是什么样的？
LN:我感兴趣于改变，而不满足于一条道走到黑。DV8的组织结构是非常灵活的，各位总监也非常支持我推动有关社会以及政治议题的作品。在过去，我曾经大量地改变我的创作方式；从上个世纪80年代My Sex、Our Dance以及Dead Dreams等硬性、进攻性的创作，到90年代包括If Only…以及Strange Fish在内的更加富有诗意的作品。在过去的几年内，有关文本以及肢体运动关系的思考占据了我的头脑。
