Ten years after herses (une lente introduction), Boris Charmatz revisits the original piece, this time using 35mm silent color film. The stage floor designed by Gilles Touyard becomes the one element allowing any spatial orientation in the pitch dark which surrounds the active surface of the stage. The resulting sensation relies on the haptic, quasi-hypnotic dimension of bodies coming in contact, carrying one another, intermingling, rolling and unrolling in a space-time whose silence magnifies the sense of impermanence. Nudity is transfigured and may seem “more acceptable” because it is aestheticized and ennobled by the medium.  This cinematic medium helps further emphasize the multiplicity of choreographic formats explored by the artist. It situates choreographic writing in the context of open-ended thinking which suggests its capacity for being plural.
It is important to note that, as with any work of cinema, the conditions in which the object is viewed are essential to the appreciation of the work. Although the whole version is shown here, it is in small format, and should be viewed for research purposes only.

Source : Boris Charmatz

More information :
http://www.borischarmatz.org/

Born in Chambéry (France), on January 3, 1973

After studying at the Ecole de Danse de l'Opéra de Paris and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon, Boris Charmatz was engaged by Régine Chopinot to dance Ana (1990) and Saint-Georges (1991). In 1992, he was asked by Odile Duboc to join her company Contrejour to dance 7 jours/7 villes (1992), Projet de la matière (1993) and Trois Boléros (1996). He also took part in the premiere of K de E, choreographed by Olivia Grandville and Xavier Marchand (1993).

In 1992, he co-founded edna association with Dimitri Chamblas. Following the premieres of works the pair choreographed together À bras-le-corps (1993) and Les Disparates (1994), Charmatz began creating his own works: Aatt enen tionon (1996), a vertical piece for three dancers, herses (une lente introduction) (1997), a piece for five dancers and a cellist set to music by Helmut Lachenmann. In 1999, he choreographed Con forts fleuve (1999), a group piece performed to texts by John Giorno and musics by Otomo Yoshihide. In 2002, he premiered héâtre-élévision, a provocative installation piece influenced by russian Matryoshka nesting dolls that was designed to be seen by one spectator at a time. In 2006, he premiered régi, a performance with Julia Cima, Raimund Hoghe and himself, as well as Quintette Cercle (2006), a live version of héâtre-élévision. La danseuse malade (2008) performed by Jeanne Balibar and Boris Charmatz, was inspired by the texts of Tatsumi Hijikata, founder of butoh dance. One of his latest works, 50 years of dance (2009), is performed by former dancers of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Conceived like a choreographic flip-book, it takes the book “Merce Cunningham, Fifty Years” by David Vaughan as its score. Roman Photo (2009) is the version for non-dancers, students and amateurs and Flip Book (2009) the one for professional dancers. Levée des conflits (2010) is a performance for 24 dancers and 25 mouvements. Associate artist of the 2011 Festival d'Avignon, Boris Charmatz creates at the Cour d'Honneur of the Pope's Palace enfant, a piece for 26 children, 9 dancers and 3 machines.

Since 1997, in collaboration with Angèle Le Grand, he developed varied projects within the association edna. The purpose of such propositions was to create a space open to multiple experiments: thematic sessions, production of films (Les Disparates by César Vayssié, Horace Benedict by Dimitri Chamblas and Aldo Lee, Une lente introduction by Boris Charmatz), Hors-série programmes proposed by the edna team (La chaise and Visitations by Julia Cima, Jachères by Vincent Dupont), production of installations (Programme court avec essorage), organisation of exhibitions (Complexe, Statuts), and trans-media projects (Ouvrée - artistes en alpages, Entraînements-série d'actions artistiques, Facultés, Education).

While maintaining an extensive touring schedule, he also participates in improvisational events on a regular basis (recently with Saul Williams, Archie Shepp and Han Bennink) and continues to pursue his performing career (with Odile Duboc for Projet de la Matière and Trois boléros, as part of the piece d'un Faune (éclats) by the Albrecht Knust Quartet and with Fanny de Chaillé for Underwear), to name a few.

From 2002 to 2004, while an artist-in-residence at the Centre national de la danse in Pantin and driven by the idea of exploring the theme of education in depth, he developped the Bocal project, a nomadic and ephemeral school that brought together students from different backgrounds. He was visiting professor at Berlin's Universität der Künste, where he contributed to the creation of a new dance curriculum which was installed in 2007.

He is the co-author of a book with Isabelle Launay: Entretenir / à propos d'une danse contemporaine (published jointly by the Centre National de la Danse and Les Presses du Réel) published in English in 2011 under the title undertraining / On A Contemporary Dance (Ed. Les Presses du Réel). Boris Charmatz is also the author of “Je suis une école” (2009, Ed. Les Prairies ordinaires) related to the adventure Bocal.

Director since 2009 of the Rennes and Britanny National Choreographic Centre, Boris Charmatz proposes to transform it into a Dancing Museum of a new kind. A manifesto is at the origin of this museum, which has received, amongst others, the projects préfiguration, expo zéro, rebutoh, service commandé (on commission), brouillon (rough draft), Jérôme Bel en 3 sec. 30 sec. 3 min. 30 min et 3 h., Petit Musée de la danse, « Rétrospective » par Xavier Le Roy and has travelled to Saint Nazaire, Singapore, Utrecht, Avignon and New York.

He creates the piece manger at the Ruhrtriennale in Germany on September 23rd, 2014, danse de nuit as part of the Built-Festival of Geneva in 2016, then 10 000 gestes in 2017 at the Volksbühne of Berlin.

Source : Boris Charmatz’s website

More information : 

http://www.borischarmatz.org/

Aldo Lee has studied at the University of Witwatersand (South Africa) where he is received as Bachelor of Art, with the highest distinction, in 1989. In 1995, he takes part in the International Video Workshop for Dance (Glasgow). He moves to fiction with Sacrifice (drama, 30 mn) for which he is awarded the best short-movie prize at the South African Cinema festival. He directs several documentary films and is awarded the prizes for best documentary for La double vie de Dona Ermelinda (The Double Life of Dona Ermelinda, 52 mn) at the festival Vues d'Afrique, Montréal in 1995 ; and in 1999, for Fermiers Blancs, Terre Noire (White Farmers, Black Land, 52 mn) at the festival of the Dhow Countries, Tanzania.

He collaborates notably with artists Rainer Ganahl, Boris Achour, Yann Kopp, and particularly choreographers Hervé Robbe, Jérôme Bel, Rachid Ouramdane... For the association edna, he co-directs Horace-Benedict in 2001 with Dimitri Chamblas and collaborates with Boris Charmatz for his film Une lente introduction (A Slow Introduction, 2007). In parallel, he works regularly as cameraman and director for various projects broadcasted on Arte, France3 (Striptease) or Channel Four.

At the bounds of the museum, place of conservation, dance, art of  movement, and choreographic center, place of production and residence, le Musée de la danse is a space to think, practice and expand the boundaries of the dance. If it's registered in Rennes, it's also a nomadic idea. Directed by the choreographer Boris Charmatz, this laboratory-institution explores the possibilities of crossing between exhibition, performative  gesture and articulation of a speech. Workshops, debates, shows, residencies of artists and researchers; offbeat proposals and fantasy collections are born directly from a reflection on what could be this playful and hybrid museum.

The  CCN of Rennes and Brittany, renamed the Museum of Dance by Boris  Charmatz, was directed by Gigi Caciuleanu until 1993, by Catherine  Diverrès and Bernardo Montet until 1996, then by Catherine Diverrès  alone until 2008. Since 2009, Boris Charmatz ensures his direction. From January 2019, the collective FAIR[E] will take over. The  collective is composed of Bouside Aït-Atmane, Iffra Dia, Johanna Faye, Céline Gallet, Linda Hayford, Saïdo Lehlouh, Marion Poupinet and Ousmane Sy.

The  Museum of Dance / National Choreographic Center of Rennes and Brittany  is an association subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and  Communication (DRAC Bretagne), the City of Rennes, the Regional Council  of Brittany and the County Council of Ille et-Vilaine.
The Dance Museum is part of the Association of National Choreographic Centers.

More information : www.museedeladanse.org