La Cathédrale Engloutie It was in the spring of 1974 when Sabine and I went on holiday on the island of Elba. It was early in the season and most of the hotels were still closed. We had difficulties finding a place to stay but finally we found one. The first evening after dinner we decided to take a walk on the seashore. It was totally dark. There were no lights, no moon or stars. It was pitch black. A very strange experience, because under normal circumstances we refer to an ocean as something visually exciting and overwhelming. But in this night it was shrouded in total darkness, and only its threatening sounds gave away its presence. But needless to say - it was exciting and inspiring. This experience became a base for my next choreography as a guest of the Nederlands DansTheater. I started looking for music which would help me express my feelings connected to this simple but unusual experience. Soon I found it. It was the prelude "La Cathédrale Engloutie" by Debussy.
This composition was inspired by the "Legend of Ys" which originated in Brittany. In this legend, we read about the eternal classical parable: the strife between flesh and spirit. The battle between "sin" and spirituality. (Quote from the Bible - Galatians: "For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do...") This is of course a very rigid jewish-christian doctrine, and there are many other religions teaching us the exact opposite. But as a young man, I was fascinated by these contrasting forces, and in fact I still am. Over centuries these forces stayed the same, only our understanding of them will keep changing. In my choreography you see two couples intertwined in their relationships, trying to find some sort of reason for their existence within their emotional partnership. They are desperately trying to find peace and balance between their urges and desires on one side and their belief and spirituality on the other. A task which will accompany us for the rest of our life and beyond... Their relationships are as restless and unresolved as the waves crashing into the cliffs. Jiří Kylián