MAGNIFIQUES was created on 13 January 2023 at the Grand Théâtre de Provence (Aix-en-Provence). 

Michel Kelemenis brings together 9 luminous artists on stage for an ode to dance and youth. 

On this occasion, discover a series of portraits of the performers of the piece. 

Pour Michel Kelemenis, parmi les lueurs de la traversée des deux années écoulées se trouvent les moments en compagnie des danseurs et des danseuses. En leur présence, un désir est né de la redécouverte du Magnificat de Jean-Sébastien Bach, œuvre initiale dans la culture musicale du chorégraphe, convoquant instantanément un souffle de joie intense. La collusion de ces deux temps de bonheur forme aussitôt l’intuition d’une audace : chorégraphier l’oeuvre musicale monumentale dans un grand geste choral.

"Un (de mes jeunes) printemps, écoutant Bach, les fenêtres s’ouvrent sur l’extérieur invitant l’air encore frais et le chant des oiseaux à entrer ; plus que le sentiment d’un beau jour, celui d’une belle vie à son début… ”

Le besoin de clarté connaît une intensité particulière dans les temps d’incertitude. Aussi, aujourd’hui, l’oeuvre de l’illumination résonne avec l’envie d’un geste libre et allégé de propos, reconnaissant aux interprètes de la danse leur statut d’instruments d’exception. 

Hommage aux danseurs et aux danseuses, donc, MAGNIFIQUES regroupe 10 artistes, dont le compositeur Angelos Liaros Copola, pour inventer, dans le plaisir vécu et projeté d’une forme chorale, un hymne à la jeunesse, à cette force qui s’empare du présent à bras-le-corps et filtre le monde vers un autre lendemain, à l’énergie non comptée du sentiment d’immortalité.

French dancer and choreographer born in Toulouse in 1960.

After training as a gymnast, Michel Kelemenis begins dancing in Marseille at the age of 17. In 1983, he performs in the Centre Chorégraphique National de Montpellier with Dominique Bagouet and choreographs his first works, among which Aventure coloniale with Angelin Preljocaj in 1984. He was awarded the Villa Médicis Hors les Murs prize in 1987, and founded Kelemenis & cie (Association Plaisir d’Offrir) in the same year. In 1991, he received the Leonardo da Vinci scholarship and Japan’s Uchida Shogakukin fund. His numerous works (more than 60, of which 40 for his company) are performed throughout the world.

In love with movement and dancers, with those exceptional moments when gesture topples a role, Michel Kelemenis structures his works around the search for a balance between abstraction and figuration.

For his personal style, which combines finesse and athletic performance, the choreographer is invited to work with the ballets of the Paris Opera, the Rhin Opera, the Opera du Nord, the Geneva Opera and the Ballet National de Marseille.

In 2000, he directed the lyric and choreographic drama, L’Atlantide, by Henri Tomasi for the Marseille Opera. He has since collaborated with the Festival d’Art Lyrique of Aix-en-Provence: in 2003, he put to movement 4 animalacrobats in Stravinsky’s Renard, directed by Klaus-Michaël Grüber and conducted by Pierre Boulez; in 2004, he assisted Luc Bondy for the chorus movements in Handel’s Hercules, conducted by William Christie.

Since 2008, he starts a reflexion about narration concept, with an approach of creation for young audience.

Through Franch Institute, he participates regularly with French cultural services abroad in Krakow, Kyoto, Johannesburg and Los Angeles, in India, Korea and China. These trips engender training projects, new productions and bilateral exchanges with foreign companies and artists employing various modes of expression.

Numerous programs are organized in higher education and professional training institutions (Coline, Ecole Nationale de Danse de Marseille, and especially with the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon).

The 10th of december 2007, after 10 years of activity at the Studio/Kelemenis, the Conseil Municipal of Marseille votes in favor of the project Centre de danse en résidence conceived and initiated by the choreographer. Intituled KLAP Maison pour la danse, Construction begins in February 2010 with a completion date planned for spring of the following year.

Source : Kelemenis&cie

More information : http://www.kelemenis.fr/fr/

Born in 1977, Fabien Plasson is a video director specialized in the field of performing arts (dance , music, etc).

During his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (joined in 1995) Fabien discovered video art. He was trained by various video artists (Joel Bartoloméo Pascal Nottoli , Eric Duyckaerts , etc).
He first experimented with the creation of installations and cinematic objects.

From 2001 to 2011, he was in charge of Ginger & Fred video Bar’s programming at La Maison de la Danse in Lyon. He discovered the choreographic field and the importance of this medium in the dissemination, mediation and pedagogical approach to dance alongside Charles Picq, who was a brilliant video director and the director of the video department at that time.

Today, Fabien Plasson is the video director at La Maison de la Danse and in charge of the video section of Numeridanse.tv, an online international  video library, and continues his creative activities, making videos of concerts, performances and also creating video sets for live performances.

Sources: Maison de la Danse ; Fabien Plasson website

More information: fabione.fr

Founded in 1987 by the dancer and choreographer Michel Kelemenis - Plaisir d’Offrir – the association supporting the activities of Kelemenis & cie settled in Marseilles in 1989. Since then, the company produces a new show each year that it presents in international tours. 

Signed by Michel Kelemenis, a repertoire of more than 60 works has been built up. The most prominent include the founding duo Plaisir d’Offrir (1987), the programme of farewell to Dominique Bagouet Clins de lune (1993), 3 poèmes inédits (2001), Besame mucho (2004), the fable for young audiences Henriette & Matisse (2010), the bloodthirsty tale for 8 dancers La Barbe bleue (2015) ...

In 1999, the company inaugurated the Studio/Kelemenis. Located in the 15th district of Marseille, its aim is to support creation. Shared and placed at the disposal of other professional dance companies, it ensures regular activity and a link with the district’s educational establishments. The result was the Educadanse programme.

The desire to support artists in the creative act underwent a new boom in 2006 at the first edition of the Question de danse festival.

The following year, the company celebrated its 20th anniversary and created a unique event Olé !, grouping artists, theatres and partners for 3 festive weeks. That same year, the city voted favourably for the project to construct a Residency dance centre (“KLAP -Centre de danse en residence”) initiated by Michel Kelemenis and supported by the company. 

An altruist, Michel Kelemenis involves his company in international cooperation projects. In 2006, Croisements, backed by the cultural department of the French Embassy in Beijing, linked Kelemenis & cie with the project of the director of the Beijing Modern Dance Company, thereby reconciling traditional culture and new freedom. In 2008, accompanied by the dancer Caroline Blanc, after 2 weeks of classes, the choreographer handed over a flagship work of the company, taking the title of Besame mucho (Kiss me much) to the 6 young dancers of the Moving into dance Mophatong dance company in Johannesburg.

On October 21st 2011, KLAP Maison pour la danse was inaugurated. Immediately, KLAP amplified the actions of Kelemenis & cie around creation, educational artistic sharing, and choreographic culture with the creation of 2 new festivals: +DE DANSE (2012) and Festiv’Anges, a dance festival for children and young people, starting in 2014.

The company expanded its repertoire and explored new areas: territorial irrigation (My Way - 2012) and outdoor irrigation (Zef ! - 2014), young public (Rock & Goal - 2016) and an overview of the repertoire (COLLECTOR - 2017). 

The COLLECTOR programme (created in 2017 for the company’s 30th anniversary) revives the duos and quartets from 1984 to 2017 and overviews the vast and varied repertoire of Kelemenis & cie. 

Source : Kelemenis&cie

More information : http://www.kelemenis.fr/fr/