Skip to main content
Back to search
  • Add to playlist

Cygn etc... [Version Piollet]

CN D - Centre national de la danse 2000 - Director : [s.n.],

Choreographer(s) : Pauwels, Pedro (Belgium) Piollet, Wilfride (France)

Video producer : PePau

Integral video available at CND de Pantin

en fr

Cygn etc... [Version Piollet]

CN D - Centre national de la danse 2000 - Director : [s.n.],

Choreographer(s) : Pauwels, Pedro (Belgium) Piollet, Wilfride (France)

Video producer : PePau

Integral video available at CND de Pantin

en fr

Cygn etc...

Cygn etc... is a solo performed by Pedro Pauwels, choreographed by 8 female choreographers (Anne-Marie Reynaud, Odile Duboc, Carolyn Carlson, Françoise Dupuy, Elsa Wolliaston, Wilfride Piollet, Patricia Karagozian, Zaza Disdier). The Dying Swan is a famous ballet choreographed by the Russian Michel Folkine in 1907 for the dancer Anna Pavlova. A century later, Pedro Pauwels decided to reinterpret this dance legend by changing the facts. He asked 8 female choreographers, with who he wanted to work and whose works, universe and philosophy interested him, to create a choreography on this theme. The initial interpreter, Ana Pavlova, was the absolute model of femininity. By reinventing this dance, Pedro Pauwels seeks to question what is feminine and masculine in each one of us. 

In his own words: “The aim of the dancer-interpreter is to immerse themselves in the widely varying worlds of each choreographer, with the challenge of creating a bridge between our heritage and contemporary creation. A male body and a legendary dance are the only two unique materials in this creation, as seen by women, thus revealing their essence, their writing and their signature.”  

Source: CND Media library

Pauwels, Pedro

Belgian-born Pedro Pauwels attended his first dance classes at the Renate Peter School in Brussels, then obtained a scholarship to the Rosella Hightower Centre, Cannes, where he studied classical, jazz and modern dance, therapy and music theory. He joined the Cannes Jeune Ballet International, where he worked on contemporary repertoire. Here he met some of the big names in dance, such as Dominique Bagouet, Mathilde Monnier, Peter Goss, Viola Farber, Jean-François Duroure and Bella Lewitsky.

As a member of the Compagnie Karine Saporta – CCN de Caen, he took part in several works during 1989 and 1990, including “Les Taureaux de Chimène”, as well as dance sequences in the films “Prospero's Book” by Peter Greenaway and “Le Diable au Corps” by Gérard Vergez. During this same period, he collaborated with the Companie Alain Marty. Then, with the Compagnie d'Odile Duboc – CCN de Belfort, he was involved in the choreography of “La Maison d'Espagne” and the revival of “Repères” in 1991, the preparation of a model for the Paris Opéra in 1992 and the creation of “Projet de Matière” in 1993.

In addition, since 1990 Pedro Pauwels has regularly been invited to teach on various courses in France and internationally, at the Rosella Hightower Centre in Cannes, CND in Pantin and Lyon, Laval, Chartres, Venice, Seoul… In November 1990 he founded his own company with support from the PePau Association, and presented his first choreography “L'Insoupçonnée” in 1991.

During 1992 he became more fully involved in choreography: “A mes côtés”, performed by his own company, a commission from Opéra du Rhin for “La Khovantchina”, and “Ecume de rêve”, devised for the Cannes Jeune Ballet International. He also choreographed the ballets for Gounod's “Roméo et Juliette”, which opened the season at the new Opéra-Théâtre, Massy.

Since then, his career as a choreographer has been closely linked with PePau, whose momentum and creativity he embodies: one or two new works per year, show/event design, regular dissemination of repertoire (chosen by Bancs d'Essais Internationaux in 1994-95, Iles-de-danse 1998, Seoul International Festival in 1998 and 2000), awareness-raising projects in partnership with French state education, ADIAMs, ADDAs, host theatres, local councils…

He is keen to compose in collaboration with other disciplines – theatre, hip-hop dance, improvised or techno music – and continues to work regularly as a performer or guest choreographer with the Jeune Ballet de France at the Paris Conservatoire (Junior Ballet), in Tunisia and in Martinique.

For three years from 2003, Pedro Pauwels focused on science and technology. He established links with University of Caen and its laboratory and with the Enghien-les-Bains Centre. Then, with his “Sens” triptych project, he began devising a choreography and technical mechanism which allows dance to be read through sound and feeling.

In 2006 the company took “Sens 1” on a tour of central Africa, after it was chosen by the dance commission of AFAA.

In 2007 Pedro Pauwels returned to North Africa to present “Pliage(s)” as part of the Cairo International Festival in Egypt and the Carthage Choreographic Encounters in Tunisia.

Updating: November 2010

Piollet, Wilfride

Wilfride Piollet trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school and was given her first solo role by Maurice Béjart in “Noces” in 1965. She was made principal dancer in 1969.

Both at the Paris Opera and all over the world, she performed the great roles of classical and neoclassical repertoire. Jean Guizerix became her partner for dance and for life, and they performed the contemporary choreographies of Merce Cunningham, Lucinda Childs, Douglas Dunn, Andy de Groat, Félix Blaska, Dominique Bagouët and Daniel Larrieu, to name but a few. Piollet also danced the neoclassical works of George Balanchine, Serge Lifar, Roland Petit and Jerome Robbins, and threw herself into Belle Danse (historical dance) under the direction of Francine Lancelot. Since 1977 Piollet has choreographed her own works, which include “Le Prince de Bois”, “Huit danses hongroises”, “Renard”, “Lettera Amorosa”, “Dam'Oisel”, “Momerie”, “Ballet Figuré”, “Penthésilée” and “La Conjuration” among others. In 2003, the year in which she finished her performing career, she and Madeleine Lytton began working on the repertoire of Isadora Duncan. When Nadège Tardieu published her thesis on her method “Les Barres flexibles”, Piollet began working on a study of the image of gestures in dance (Les trois temps du corps), then with Francette Levieux (Giselle) and alongside Frédérique Liébaut on “Le corps-partition”, performed in Avignon in 2006.

Piollet choreographed new versions of the great repertoire ballets such as Coppélia, and continued to create new works in smaller form, such as “Le petit Atelier” and “Romance”. In 2005, she and Jean Guizerix choreographed “L'Amour médecin” and “Le Sicilien” for the Comédie-Française (French National Theatre), and “Anonymes” for the École nationale des Arts du cirque (ENAC – National Circus Arts School) in Rosny-sous-Bois (Seine Saint-Denis, near Paris).

From 1989 until June 2008, she taught at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (CNSMDP). In 1999, she published two works on the subject of her teaching: “Rendez-vous sur tes barres flexibles” and “Barres flexibles” (published by L'Oiseau de Feu).
In 1999, on the website lesbarresflexibles.net, Piollet made the series “Les gestes de Lilou” available online. It is aimed at dance teachers, primary school teachers, parents and educators who wish to teach their pupils or children some basic notions of dance.

In February 2009, Piollet took part in a performance in which both dancers and audience moved around the Chartreuse de Villeneuve lez Avignon - “La folie d'Igitur” – a work inspired by the work of French poet Stéphane Mallarmé and directed by Andy de Groat. Piollet also performed a tango with Jean Guizerix, reinterpreted by Andy de Groat and Martin Barré.

She passed away January 20, 2015.

Further information

Digital resource - Médiathèque du Centre national de la danse
Wilfride Piollet

Updating: January 2018

[s.n.],

 

Cygn etc... [Version Piollet]

Artistic direction / Conception : Pedro Pauwels

Choreography : Wilfride Piollet

Interpretation : Pedro Pauwels

Artistic consultancy / Dramaturgy : Anne-Marie Reynaud

Additionnal music : Camille Saint-Saëns

Lights : Evelyne Rubert

Costumes : Marie-Christine Franc

Our videos suggestions
03:46

La Valse de Vaslav

Tompkins, Mark (France)

  • Add to playlist
04:07

Icons

Tompkins, Mark (France)

  • Add to playlist
03:01

Hard to Be Soft

Doherty, Oona (France)

  • Add to playlist
03:01

Peekaboo

Goecke, Marco (France)

  • Add to playlist
03:07

Skin

Tchouda, Bouba Landrille (France)

  • Add to playlist
02:58

Un casse-noisette

Tchouda, Bouba Landrille (France)

  • Add to playlist
01:57

Walk

  • Add to playlist
06:24

Colin Dunne & eRikm Project

Dunne, Colin (France)

  • Add to playlist
05:05

Locus Focus

Tanaka, Min (France)

  • Add to playlist
48:04

Peuplé, dépeuplé

Ben Aïm, Christian & François (France)

  • Add to playlist
02:13

Peuplé, dépeuplé

Ben Aïm, Christian & François (France)

  • Add to playlist
03:17

Ferry

Keller, Jennifer (United States)

  • Add to playlist
02:40

Cartes postales de Chimère

Bédard, Louise (Canada)

  • Add to playlist
08:04

Yellow Towel

Michel, Dana (France)

  • Add to playlist
07:07

Its not a thing

Gaskin, Keyon (France)

  • Add to playlist
06:30

Sorrow Swag

Lewis, Ligia (France)

  • Add to playlist
08:02

DECADES

DECADES (France)

  • Add to playlist
03:41

Heimat - focus

Brabant, Jérôme (Reunion)

  • Add to playlist
06:25

Body Without A Brain

Rianto (Indonesia)

  • Add to playlist
00:00:30

Didier Labbé Quartet - DCN 2013

  • Add to playlist
Our themas suggestions

DANCE AND DIGITAL ARTS

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

K. Danse's artistic partners

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

Dyptik Company

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

Roots of Diversity in Contemporary Dance

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

CHRISTIAN & FRANÇOIS BEN AÏM – VITAL MOMENTUM

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

Les Rencontres chorégraphiques internationales de Seine-Saint-Denis

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

LATITUDES CONTEMPORAINES

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

40 years of dance and music

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

Indian dances

Discover Indian dance through choreographic creations which unveil it, evoke it, revisit it or transform it!

Parcours

fr/en/

Body and conflicts

A look on the bonds which appear to emerge between the dancing body and the world considered as a living organism.

Parcours

fr/en/

James Carlès

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

Meeting with literature

Collaboration between a choreographer and a writer can lead to the emergence of a large number of combinations. If sometimes the choreographer creates his dance around the work of an author, the writer can also choose dance as the subject of his text.

Parcours

fr/en/

When reality breaks in

How does choreographic works are testimonies of the world? Does the contemporary artist is the product of an era, of its environment, of a culture?

Parcours

fr/en/

Dance and performance

 Here is a sample of extracts illustrating burlesque figures in Performances.

Parcours

fr/en/

Butoh

On 24th May 1959, Tatsumi Hijikata portrayed the character of the "Man" in the first presentation of a play called Kinjiki (Forbidden Colours).
The Ankoku Butoh was born,

Parcours

fr/en/

Do you mean Folklores?

Presentation of how choreographers are revisiting Folklore in contemporary creations.

Parcours

fr/en/

States of the body

Explanation of the term « State of the body » when it’s about dance.

Parcours

fr/en/

Dance in Quebec: Untamed Bodies

First part of the Parcours about dance in Quebec, these extracts present how bodies are being used in a very physical way.

Parcours

fr/en/

Maison de la danse

Exposition virtuelle

fr/en/

Improvisation

 Discovery of improvisation’s specificities in dance. 

Parcours

fr/en/
By accessing the website, you acknowledge and accept the use of cookies to assist you in your browsing.
You can block these cookies by modifying the security parameters of your browser or by clicking onthis link.
I accept Learn more