Gérard Mayen's In-Depth Study of Mathilde Monnier's 'Déroutes'

Gérard Mayen has published a detailed analysis of Mathilde Monnier's 2002 choreographic work 'Déroutes' through Éditions L'Harmattan. The book offers a meticulous reading of the piece, informed by observations of rehearsals and interviews with performers, both dancers and non-dancers. Monnier, director of the Centre chorégraphique national de Montpellier and a major figure in contemporary dance, drew inspiration from Georg Büchner's novella 'Lenz', which follows the Romantic poet Jacob Lenz's descent into madness—a figure akin to Hölderlin. Central to 'Déroutes' is the act of walking, described as 'an activity in permanent transition between the real and the symbolic'. This references the 'pedestrian movement' of 1960s-70s American dance, rejecting lyrical gesture. Mayen explores how Monnier layers meanings, incorporating Rodney Graham's treatment of Büchner's text—focusing on the word 'forest' as an 'uninterrupted closed circuit'—along with commentary by Paul Celan and Jeff Wall on Graham's work. The book contrasts Monnier's approach with that of choreographer Christine Quoiraud, who organizes generic, neutral walks in urban or landscape settings. Monnier instead presents 'an active collectivity of singularities', where walking becomes a signature of self. Laurence Louppe contributes a preface.