Louise Lecavalier on Dance, Memory, and Working with Bowie and Zappa

Louise Lecavalier, a pillar of contemporary dance born in 1958, discusses her career and her solo "I" is Memory, presented at Festival MilanOltre 2018. The 45-minute piece, choreographed by Benoît Lachambre in 2006, emerged after a hip injury forced her to slow down. She describes it as a calm rebirth, exploring a new quality of movement. The title comes from an album by Laurent Maslé and reflects the character's journey of relearning to walk. Lecavalier, known for her work with La La La Human Steps, collaborated with David Bowie and Frank Zappa. She recalls Zappa as ill and fragile, and Bowie as charismatic but overwhelming, noting the work was not her most artistically fulfilling. She never makes long-term plans and approaches each creation without expectations. She began in contemporary dance after finding ballet too constricting, and credits Merce Cunningham's music for inspiring her early practice.