A Conversation about Dance History
In cooperation with Conservatoire de Rennes
Every history of dance chooses what it places at the centre and what it leaves in the shadows. The narratives transmitted by institutions have their recognised lineages, and their absences, rarely questioned as such. Self-taught dances and dances emerging from the margins question this construction from within, drawing on their own modes of transmission.
The roundtable explores this question in three stages: the construction of a narrative of dance, between an approach based on aesthetics and artists on the one hand, and a cultural approach incorporating geographical and sociopolitical circulations on the other; the relationship between storytelling and institutionalisation, and the risk of standardising self-taught practices once they are inscribed within a shared framework; and the conditions for developing a narrative specific to these practices, which are often oral, Creole and geographically fluid, as well as the theoretical tools needed to analyse them without distorting them.
With:
Moderation: Céline Roux. PhD in Art History, independent researcher and specialist in performative practices within the French choreographic field. A lecturer, trainer and teacher, she works in higher education, dancer training and with a range of audiences. She also collaborates on artistic and editorial projects in the choreographic field.
Lumi Sow: Freestyle specialist. Choreographer, dancer, musician, producer, beatmaker and educator.
Mackenzy Bergile: Choreographic artist, pianist, composer and interdisciplinary researcher.
Anaïs Henneuse, known as Nan’s: Dancer, activist, producer, artist support worker and programmer. She specialises in archives and wrote a research dissertation entitled Quand les marges déplacent le centre. Repenser les récits, les légitimités et les institutions culturelles.
Sébastien Thierry: Performing arts inspector, dance division, at the Directorate-General for Artistic Creation of the French Ministry of Culture. He was previously director of choreographic studies at the regional conservatoires of Lille and Paris.