1 Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns
The first opera I was commissioned to choreograph was for the Bregenz Festival in 1987. The Bacchanale is located in the third act of the opera and depicts the celebration of the victory of the Philistines over the Hebrews. It’s an ecstatic dance, energetic and furious, dedicated to Bacchus, the god of wine, and was an incredible introduction to opera. Over many years, I have collaborated with opera singers and dancers but nothing has touched the visceral experience I encountered with this piece.
2 Let X = X by Laurie Anderson
In 1982, a free disc of this track was released in a magazine my dad brought home. It was a completely new sound to me, played repeatedly, and, although I hadn’t attempted to choreograph before, I knew I wanted to make a dance like this – whatever that meant! Looking back it was a mixture of the language, deadpan humour and minimalist music that inspired me. Laurie Anderson is still a great inspiration.
3 I’ll Be Your Mirror by The Velvet Underground & Nico
On the day Andy Warhol died, I was at a gig of Nico’s in Brixton. Nico didn’t speak throughout the entire performance, then before the final song she simply said, ‘This is for Andy.’ She sang I’ll Be Your Mirror – the beauty of Lou Reed’s lyrics and their complexity shone through.
4 Les Noces by Igor Stravinsky
Bronislava Nijinska’s choreography for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1923 is a perfect work. Everything works in beautiful simplicity: form, music and design. I did eventually choreograph Les Noces for Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic with a cast of over 100 dancers aged between eight and 80-years-old. It was a great honour to work with this score but nothing can touch its original staging.
5 Heroes by David Bowie
My favourite Bowie track. An anthem of hope and, even if something comes to an end, it doesn’t make it any less. We played this at my mother’s funeral.
