Taking his inspirations from Malher's Kindertotenlieder, Venezuelian choregrapher Leyson Ponce explores Andean et Mexican rituals performed when a child dies. Joyous children's celebrations, grieving and the vision of the richly robed child joining the angels in Paradise combine to form a lyrically dramatic piece, a direct moving immersion in Latin American culture. 

Source: Biennale de la danse 2002

Leyson  Ponce born in Caracas, Venezuela  and resident in Madrid,  Spai. He has formed in contemporary  dance beside important training  centers and groups such as Abelardo Gameche  Dance Theater and Acción Colectiva directed by Julie Barnsley in Venezuela. In Germany he has trained and formed in Aufbaustudium Program at Folkwang University of Arts in Essen under the sign of expressionist dance with teachers ofrom the  Tanztheater Wuppertal as were Lütz Förster, Malou Airaudo and Domenique Merci among others.

He is a  Ph.D  of Philosophy of Art  with the Mention Summa Cum Laude  at the University of  Salamanca (September 2013 to September 2018) with  its theoretical and practical research on what’s called The Poetics of Ajar body,   a methodology of performative research movement with emphasis on the   boundaries of theatrical expression as multisensory territory and   knowledge. In  this perspective, the body in a complex  relationship between reality and  fiction  turns and creates the  necesity to transcend the passive  contemplation of the viewer, making  the experience one stage an event revealed in the mystery  beyond as new sensibility.

Source : Leyson Ponce website

More information: www.leysonponce.es

Author, filmmaker and video artist Charles Picq (1952-2012) entered working life in the 70s through theatre and photography. A- fter resuming his studies (Maîtrise de Linguistique - Lyon ii, Maîtrise des sciences et Techniques de la Communication - grenoble iii), he then focused on video, first in the field of fine arts at the espace Lyonnais d'art Contemporain (ELAC) and with the group « Frigo », and then in dance.
   On creation of the Maison de la Danse in Lyon in 1980, he was asked to undertake a video documentation project that he has continued ever since. During the ‘80s, a decade marked in France by the explosion of contemporary dance and the development of video, he met numerous artists such as andy Degroat, Dominique Bagouet, Carolyn Carlson, régine Chopinot, susanne Linke, Joëlle Bouvier and regis Obadia, Michel Kelemenis. He worked in the creative field with installations and on-stage video, as well as in television with recorded shows, entertainment and documentaries.

His work with Dominique Bagouet (80-90) was a unique encounter. He documents his creativity, assisting with Le Crawl de Lucien and co-directing with his films Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux and 10 anges. in the 90s he became director of video development for the Maison de la Danse and worked, with the support of guy Darmet and his team, in the growing space of theatre video through several initiatives:
       - He founded a video library of dance films with free public access. This was a first for France. Continuing the video documentation of theatre performances, he organised their management and storage.
       - He promoted the creation of a video-bar and projection room, both dedicated to welcoming school pupils.
       - He started «présentations de saisons» in pictures.
       - He oversaw the DVD publication of Le tour du monde en 80 danses, a pocket video library produced by the Maison de la Danse for the educational sector.

       - He launched the series “scènes d'écran” for television and online. He undertook the video library's digital conversion and created Numeridanse.

His main documentaries are: enchaînement, Planète Bagouet, Montpellier le saut de l'ange, Carolyn Carlson, a woman of many faces, grand ecart, Mama africa, C'est pas facile, Lyon, le pas de deux d'une ville, Le Défilé, Un rêve de cirque.

He has also produced theatre films: Song, Vu d'ici (Carolyn Carlson), Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux, 10 anges, Necesito and So schnell, (Dominique Bagouet), Im bade wannen, Flut and Wandelung (Susanne Linke), Le Cabaret Latin (Karine Saporta), La danse du temps (Régine Chopinot), Nuit Blanche (Abou Lagraa), Le Témoin (Claude Brumachon), Corps est graphique (Käfig), Seule et WMD (Françoise et Dominique Dupuy), La Veillée des abysses (James Thiérrée), Agwa (Mourad Merzouki), Fuenteovejuna (Antonio Gades), Blue Lady revistied (Carolyn Carlson).

Source: Maison de la Danse de Lyon