Lord of dance

Son of Abdel Halim Caracalla, founder and maestro of the Caracalla Dance Theatre, Ivan searches for inspiration all around, and always filters his stories through Caracalla’s oriental voice.

When did all the dancing start?

Abdel Halim Caracalla was inspired by the great artists that visited the ancient Baalbek festivals. He traveled around, mainly to France and London, to get the knowledge and discipline. He had a dream to build a dance company in Lebanon, a stretch at the time. People thought he was crazy: a man of that time, from Baalbek no less, who wanted to learn how to dance. He had five or six dancers and our living room was the studio, back in 1968. He’d move the tables at night, I remember. In ’78 the troupe went to Osaka to perform, and that’s when it all took off, that was the launch of Caracalla.

I know of the Osaka debut, but why launch in Japan?

There was something of a cultural exchange between Lebanon and Japan at the time and the dance was part of an important event. It developed quickly from there, the troupe advanced, its message and style developed. In 1978 the King Hussein of Jordan sponsored the company in Canada, America and Europe and championed our breakthrough into the international spotlight.

How did you manage the King’s attention?

We performed ‘Black Tents’ in Jordan, and he was in the audience. He saw it was about his ancestors and his people, the Bedouin, and as you know he’s a Hashemite. He loved the story and decided this troupe needs backup and international exposure. He gave us just that.

But not all your stories have Arab roots…

Of course not. It’s always our identity in play, but we look everywhere for the human and dramatic content. We do a lot of Shakespeare – ‘Taming of the Shrew’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. Western literature can inspire us, but then we’ve also been inspired by the stories of Elisa Queen of Carthage – there’s no rule.

I’ve seen a couple of your Shakespeare productions; I love that they always have an oriental touch…

They do and this is very fascinating to the west. When you see a ‘Hamlet’ by the Japanese or ‘Macbeth’ by an African company you’re seeing a new story. It’s interesting to see someone else’s interpretation of a timeless classic. Shakespeare is timeless. He talks about humanity, doubt, love and sacrifice. These are always applicable and to all people. He’s always been an inspiration to us. But our culture is always with us, and that’s a large part of our success. That’s the foundation of the Caracalla style.

Well, what is the Caracalla style exactly?

It’s an amalgam of modern western dance technique, intertwined with our identity and bent to our form. It’s bent with the way our bodies move, with our own colors and costumes, made for our audience.

And, from what I spotted in the rehearsal studio, you keep changing it…

Today we’re looking towards keeping our identity but using it in a more avant-garde way; you have to. People are tired of, say, ‘Swan Lake’ with the same hundred dancers, unless it’s modern. The last ‘Swan Lake’ with all men dancers was a hit and became one of the longest running shows in theater. You have to give your audience something that suits the times. The 1978 troupe is a different Caracalla and the people are not the same, just like the 1978 audience is not the same. Take Trafalgar Square in London. A few years ago they unveiled the statue of Alison Lapper who was pregnant and disabled. Today this kind of art is accepted, even encouraged. Ten years ago it would’ve been out of the question. Like I said, you have to conform to your times.

Speaking of which, do you design your own costumes? And is the music your own?

My father designs all the costumes and my sister is the choreographer. The music composition is living research that began with my father, 30 years ago. We went to southern Algeria once and lived amongst the natives for three weeks just to listen to the beats of their marriages, funerals and festivities. We have the identity we want but we bring a proper composer to build the music. He looks at our stage and choreography and in accordance with our story he’ll create, never vice versa.

What’s your favorite place in Lebanon?

I’ll have to think about that. [Two days later, via email] Sitting in the Temple of Bacchus at sunset, sipping a glass of Baalbek tea overlooking the six columns of Jupiter. That is Lebanon.