[Herald Interview] Decoufle casts spell with 'Shazam!' to discover beautiful traces of time

Philippe Decoufle, the master of French multidisciplinary performance arts, is set to bring his iconic production "Shazam!" back to Seoul, almost 25 years after its 1999 performance at the Seoul Arts Center. The show will be performed at the LG Arts Center in Seoul from Friday through Sunday.

Originally created in 1998 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, “Shazam!” has been performed over 200 times at major venues worldwide. The production pays homage to analog film techniques, and in 2021, was revamped to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Decoufle’s company, Decoufle Company d’Art.

Most of the dancers and musicians from the original cast have returned for this performance. Now middle-aged, the dancers will share the stage with video footage of their younger selves, and Decoufle himself will make an appearance in the show’s opening.

Decoufle encouraged audiences “to look for the beautiful traces of time left on the dancers' bodies.”

"I believe people become more beautiful as they age. A dancer who was 25 at the time of the premiere is now 52, but still performs solo dances with incredible grace," he said in a group interview with reporters on Tuesday.

"Of course, if they used to lift their leg 180 degrees, the angle may be a bit less now. But even if the angles are lower, they retain 95 percent of their former technique. The missing 5 percent is made up by the grace and presence they've gained through years of experience."

Decoufle explained that his long-standing collaboration with the same dancers stems from his deep respect for humanity.

"Dancers are not just artists; they are human beings with meaning and value. Each person's role and talent cannot be replaced by someone else."

Decoufle often incorporates his own video footage into his stage productions. In “Shazam!” he layers live performances with video footage, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

"We could say ‘Shazam!’ is a blend of film and dance. The overlap of the on-screen dancers with those on stage allows us to witness the passage of time.”

He noted that he never considered casting new dancers for the revival.

"If we show footage from the 1998 performance, but the dancers on stage are different dancers, it would break the connection. I thought it’s important to honor the original charm by working with those who helped create it."

Emphasizing the irreplaceable quality of live performance, he continued, "The emotional impact of watching dancers in the same space as the audience is vastly different from what a screen can provide. Dance, with its inherent risks, is something no other medium can replace."

Celebrated for his multidisciplinary approach that blends dance, theater, circus, mime, video, film, graphic design, architecture and fashion, Decoufle is also renowned for directing “Iris” and “Paramour” for Cirque du Soleil, and “Desirs” for Crazy Horse, one of Paris’s top three cabarets.

When asked how he defines himself, Decoufle described himself as a "free spirit."

"I don’t know how to define myself. I think I exist somewhere between film and live performance, constantly moving between different worlds with a free spirit. I always like to try something new.”

“(But) sometimes, with modern dance performances, people leave without understanding what they just saw, and I absolutely hate that. I want to express what I have to say in a simple, direct way,” he said, sharing his philosophy in creating art that is both accessible and meaningful.

Decoufle advised the audience to arrive 15 minutes early for “Shazam!” A live parade of dancers in giant, furry hats waving batons, will kick off the event in the lobby before leading the crowd into the 90-minute show. (The LG Arts Center recommends arriving at the venue 20-25 minutes early.)

"Shazam! is like a magic spell, something akin to 'abracadabra,'" Decoufle said. "I was fascinated by a circus school professor who taught us how to make people appear and disappear. In this show, the dancers appear to vanish or change as if by magic, just like ‘Shazam!’”