To mark the 30th annual Eurockéennes Festival in Belfort, VIADANSE – Centre chorégraphique national de Bourgogne Franche-Comté à Belfort (National Choreographic Centre of Burgundy and Franche-Comté in Belfort – CCN Belfort) invited 18 choreographers, representing the wide diversity in the field of choreography. The film director Nicolas Habas followed them on the natural site of Malsaucy, from the beginning of the preparations for the festival, and throughout it to the end. The choreographers took part in all that happened, everywhere it happened (stages, technical storage management areas, traffic routes, crowds of audiences, backstage…) resulting in danced portrayals that documented in a recreational manner the impressive machinery needed to bring about the event.

Clip #06 – shot in the heart of the Malsaucy natural site, on the area intended for spectators of the Eurockéennes main stage, with dancers from the Ballet de Lorraine – National Choreographic Centre in Nancy

Born in Stockholm, Petter Jacobsson started his studies in dance at  the age of three and was further educated at the Royal Swedish Ballet  School, he later graduated from the Vaganova Academy in St.Petersburg in  1982.

As a principal dancer with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet in London  between 1984 to 1993, he toured the globe dancing all of the renowned  classical roles as well as appearing as guest artist with numerous  international companies. In 1993, he moved to New York to begin a  freelance career, studying with Merce Cunningham and working with Twyla  Tharp Dance Company, Irene Hultman Dance and later Deborah Hay.

Petter and Thomas Caley started working as a creative team in the mid  nineties, choreographing works for Martha@Mother, the Joyce Soho in New  York and the choreography for the opera Staden at the Royal Opera in  Stockholm, a commission for the 1998 Cultural capital of Europe.

In 1999, when Petter was appointed the artistic directorship of the  Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm, they made the move to Europe to  continue their artistic collaboration. An exceptional embodiment of  their work for the RSB was the creating of two immense happenings,In nooks and crannies 2000 and 2001.  The project included the Royal Ballet, Opera and Orchestra, as well as  independent artists who took-over non-traditional, yet possible,  performance spaces occupying the entire Royal Opera House of  Stockholm. Petter received "Choreographer of the year 2002” from the Society of Swedish Choreographers in recognition of the modernisation of the Royal Swedish Ballet. 

After years of collaboration, Petter and Thomas established an independent dance company in 2005 - works include Nightlife, Unknown partner, Flux, No mans land- no lands  man,The nearest nearness – in 2002 they won a “Goldmask” for best choreography for the musical Chess with Björn Ulveus and Benny Andersson (ABBA).

As of 2011, Petter is leading and choreographing together with Thomas  Caley for the CCN Ballet de Lorraine in Nancy. Their curating for the  CCN invites as well a wide variety of artistic talent from around the  world. Each invited creator joins in the active questioning of a  specific theme. La saison de La 12/13, Tête à tête à têtes 13/14, Live 14/15, Folk + Danse = (R)évolution 15/16 and Des plaisirs inconnus 16/17.  To insure a lively and non fixed use of the art form they continue  their searching through installations for the Musée d’Art Moderne in  Paris and Musée Pompidou Metz and an original initiative LAB-BLA-BAL, where a series of open house art experiments, workshops, and discussions are given at our choreographic center.

Source : Ballet de Lorraine

More information: http://ballet-de-lorraine.eu/en/

Nicolas Habas comes from cinema first, as a screenwriter and director of several short fiction films including Le mal de Claire, broadcast on French TV and documentaries (La parole en chantier, triptych on a popular neighborhood in urban renewal). He is very interested in the tensions between reality and the imaginary, society and intimacy, geography and territories. With a self-taught apprenticeship that led him to a deep understanding of the codes of the film industry, he decided to find «his» cinema and returned with Le Corps de la Ville, the web series anchored in dance, to his first loves, since he made his first dance video in 1998. Shot during the 30° Eurockéennes de Belfort Festival and Broadcast on Arte Concert, Mouvements is its second web series.

Filmography :

2022 Danse ton île - Documentary 52’ (support : HD, © JPL Productions/ AV Com Productions/ France Télévision).

2021 Le corps de la ville en Martinique - Documentary 52 ‘ and web series (support : HD, 10 x 5’, © JPL Productions/ WIPS Productions/ France Télévision).

2020 Pères en prison - Short documentary (support HD, time 5’ © Festival La Rochelle Cinéma/ studio Un Poil Court)

2019 Le corps de la ville à Nouméa - Documentary 52 ‘ and web series (support : HD, 10 x 5’, © JPL Productions/ AV Com Productions/ France Télévision).

2018 Mouvements - Documentary 26’ and web series (support : HD, 18 x 3’, © Séquence SDP/ Eurockéennes de Belfort/ Viadanse/ Ccn de Belfort/ Arte Concert).

2014/2019 Le corps de la ville - Web series (support : HD, 36 x 4’, © studio Un Poil Court in partnership with La Rochelle Cinéma Festival , Studio Chérie (Berlin), le Périscope (Lyon), Nocte Graus Festival (Spain), DAN.CIN.FEST, La Rochelle's CCN, En Knap Cie (Slovenia), Hors Série Cie, Propos Cie, Jean Claude Gallotta Cie and Lyon's CNSMD).

2011 Mauvaise graine - Short fiction (support : 35 mm, 21’, © CLC Productions/ Lyon TV).

2006/2012 La parole en chantier - Documentary triptych (support : HDV, 3 x 40’, © Petits bolides films/ Espace Louis Aragon).

2004 Le mal de Claire - Short fiction (support : Super 16 mm, 14’, © Lumina Films/France Télévision).

2000 En attendant septembre - Short fiction (support : DV, 30’, © Petits Bolides films/ Carré Image). 

1998 Marie au parc - Dance video (support : VHS, 7’, autoproduction).

Since acquiring the CCN title in 1999, the Centre Chorégraphique National - Ballet de Lorraine has dedicated itself to supporting contemporary choreographic creation. As of July 2011 the organization is under the general and artistic direction of Petter Jacobsson.
The CCN – Ballet de Lorraine and its company of 26 dancers is one of the most important companies working in Europe, performing contemporary creations while retaining and programming a rich and extensive repertory, spanning our modern history, made up of works by some of our generations most highly regarded choreographers.
The CCN functions as an art center and venue for multiple possibilities in the fields of research, experimentation and artistic creation. It is a platform open to many different disciplines, a space where the many visions of dance of today may meet. 

More information : http://ballet-de-lorraine.eu