Germain Louvet: Dancer in The Stars
His soul sings in tune with the way his body moves. He jumps with grace and leaps with passion. Germain Louvet is acclaimed as one of ballet’s brightest stars. Having preformed lead roles in shows such as Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet, Louvet won the AROP Dance Award in 2017, which points to a bright future and great things on the horizon for Louvet.
A version of this exclusive interview first appeared in the pages of the 15th issue of ODDA Magazine.
How does dance make you feel? Why do you think dance can be so emotional?
Dancing is a way for me to not think about routine, about problems and very pragmatic stuff. It makes me feel more alive because I can feel every part of my body, my joints stretching, my muscles contracting, my veins and my heart beating, my sweat flowing, the sound of my breathing, etc…
I think it becomes emotional when you understand that all these physical sensations are fully related to your sensitivity and your emotions. So, when in ballet, we add an intention, a character or a story, the emotions felt and given to the audience use all that self-control/letting go to express them- selves.
ODDA 15th Issue; total look from Prada, photography by Joe Lai
You started dancing at age 4 and, by the age of 12, you were accepted into the prestigious L’Opéra de Paris. You have been on a professional ballet pathway from a very young age. Has there ever been a point when you get tired of ballet and want a break?
Since I can remember, I’ve always been passionate about dance, and physically in need of moving. So, even during hard periods, when the body is tired or the mental is down, dancing is a therapy and a way to escape the troubles. Also, I’ve always been kind of hyperactive, and I’m happy to have found a job where I can always be in movement. However, I can admit that it’s been 2 years that I didn’t take a normal vacation and sometimes I miss the idea of waking up and have nothing to do… But I’m trying to have a good balance of rest and work to avoid the burning out!
Are your parents dancers? Do they have a similar passion for ballet as you do?
Nobody is an artist in my family. My parents and my brothers are very sportive, so we all are used to performing and to surpassing ourselves. They learned to like ballet with me and are now very happy to come to the Opéra Garnier when I’m dancing.
You perform all across the globe. How do the audiences change where you go? Can the culture of the place you perform in affect the performance?
We feel a big difference in the way the audience react to the show in the different places we go to perform. I think it depends a lot of the culture like in Japan where everybody is very polite and in self-control, the audience applauds longer but wisely, but it depends also of the prize of the tickets…
I feel a lot more supported and a warm reaction in the audience when the tickets are affordable!
“I CAN FEEL EVERY PART OF MY BODY, MY JOINTS STRETCHING, MY MUSCLES CONTRACTING, MY VEINS AND MY HEART BEATING, THE SOUND OF MY BREATHING…” – GERMAIN LOUVET
What is perfection to you and what role does this play in your work? Are there both negatives and positives to the idea of perfection?
Perfection is the motivation and the frustration of our work. I try everything I can to reach it knowing that it will never happen. I think the most important thing in that is the way of looking for perfection. Dance is all about that.
ODDA 15th Issue; total look from Prada, photography by Joe Lai
A single injury can wipe out your ballet career. Is this a fear that ever lays in the back of your mind? Have you ever thought to look forward to prepare for such a tragedy?
This is something all dancers are confronted with. I’m the kind of person who just trusts in life and take everything as is coming day after day. I’ll always find a way to dance and express myself even if my body is not res- ponding anymore.
How do you maintain such mental strength and stamina with such long hours training and traveling?
The answer is simple: pleasure. The desperate need to move, to go beyond, to express, and also the music of course! Everything is lighter and easier with music, don’t you think? Put pleasure, emotions and music together… what else could you ask for?
Caitlin is a dynamic Australian writer based in Melbourne. Whilst completing her Bachelor of Arts at Monash University, Caitlin has developed her skills in both journalism and sartorial writing. Experience at Virgin Melbourne Fashion Festival and Whitehouse Institute of Design have promoted her focus on communication in arts and fashion media, and has led to published work in global magazine, ODDA.
Caitlin Hicks
Caitlin is a dynamic Australian writer based in Melbourne. Whilst completing her Bachelor of Arts at Monash University, Caitlin has developed her skills in both journalism and sartorial writing. Experience at Virgin Melbourne Fashion Festival and Whitehouse Institute of Design have promoted her focus on communication in arts and fashion media, and has led to published work in global magazine, ODDA.
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