ephemeropteræ 2016/#2 – Musée de la danse

“Dancing is the mother of anorexia. Marathon runners eat on the run. Prisoners go on hunger strikes. The dinner ritual is disappearing. Children eat while dancing around. You eat lying down. She sleeps on her feet. We digest information. He dances while chewing. He chews while dancing while singing. We launch movement with our mouths. With our lips. With fingers that we suck. With feet that touch food on the ground. Dance is in the stomach. Dance is in the palate. Dance is in the teeth. Dance is in the tongue.”  – Boris Charmatz
 
In the context of ephemeropteræ 2, Olga Dukhovnaya interprets interprets a solo from the collective piece for 14 dancers manger (2014) by the French groundbreaking dancer, choreographer, founder, and director of Musée de la danse, Boris Charmatz. Born from an anti-natural crossbreeding between museum, place of preservation, dance, art of motion, choreographic centre, place of production and residence, Musée de la danse / the Dancing Museum is a paradox which draws its dynamics from its own contradictions: an experimental space for thinking, practicing, and pushing further the borders of this phenomenon called dance. Situated in Rennes, the Musée de la danse is a nomadic idea.
 
Boris Charmatz (FR) dancer and choreographer presented from Aatt enen tionon (1996) to manger (2014) a series of highly memorable pieces. While maintaining an extensive touring schedule, he also participates in improvisational events on a regular basis with Saul Williams, Archie Shepp, Médéric Collignon and continues to work as a performer with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Tino Sehgal. Associate artist of the 2011 Festival d'Avignon, Charmatz presented enfant, a piece for 26 children and 9 dancers in the Cour d’Honneur of the Pope’s Palace. In 2013, he was invited to MoMA, New York where he conceived Musée de la danse: Three Collective Gestures, a three week dance program in the Marron Atrium and all over the museum. In 2015, Boris Charmatz was invited to Tate Modern, London, for If Tate Modern was Musée de la danse? an intensive two day performance program throughout the galleries and the Turbine Hall. His new piece danse de nuit premiers on September 2, 2016 at Festival La Bâtie, Geneva.
 
Olga Dukhovnaya (UI) studied dance at P.A.R.T.S., Brussels. Between 2006 and 2010, Olga Dukhovnaya worked in Moscow, making her own projects in collaboration with architect and video artist Konstantin Lipatov. During this period she was also leading a regular classes on movement and composition for actors in the Russian University of Theatre Arts, and dancers in a dance school TSEKH. In 2009, she received the DanceWeb scholarship from the ImpulsTanz Festival/Vienna. Since 2010 Olga Dukhovnaya works as a dancer with Boris Charmatz (Levée des conflits, Flip book, enfant, manger, danse de nuit). And since 2012 with the french choreographer Maud Le Pladec for her creation Democracy and Concrete. In 2012, she moved to France to start a Master Program in Dance in CNDC Angers (in partnership with the University Paris 8) during which she has created the KOROWOD. She is nowadays working on a creation project with the performer Robert Steijn.
 
Martina Hochmuth (A) is a curator, dramaturge and producer in the field of contemporary dance and performance. Since July 2009 she is the Director of productions of  Musée de la danse / Centre Chorégraphique National de Rennes et  de Bretagne. Together with Boris Charmatz she curated expo zéro, brouillon, poster session, Une école d’art pour le Festival d’Avignon (2011); Petit Musée de la danse ; curatorial collaboration on Moments. A History of Performance in 10 Acts (ZKM Karlsruhe 2012), Musée de la danse : Three Collective Gestures (MoMA New York, 2013); If Tate Modern was Musée de la danse ? (2015). During 2001-2009 she was dramaturge, curator, and head of research at Tanzquartier Wien.
 

Choreography: Boris Charmatz
Interpreted by: Olga Dukhovnaya
Head technician: Florian Staub

Arrangements and vocal training: Dalila Khatir
Production: Sandra Neuveut, Martina Hochmuth, Amélie-Anne Chapelain
Soundmaterial: Ticket Man, The Kills; Hey Light, Animal Collective; King Kong, Daniel Johnston; Leisure Force, Aesop Rock ; Je t’obéis, Sexy Sushi ; La Folia, Arcangelo Corelli; Symphonie Nr. 7, Ludwig van Beethoven ; Qui habitat, Josquin des Prez; Three Voices, Morton Feldman; Lux Alternae, György Ligeti
Text: Le bonhomme de merde in L’Enregistré, Christophe Tarkos, P.O.L., 2014
 
Produced by Musée de la danse / Centre chorégraphique national de Rennes et de Bretagne—Directed by Boris Charmatz. The association receives grants from the Ministry of Culture and Communication (Regional Direction of Cultural Affairs / Brittany), the City of Rennes, the Regional Council of Brittany and Ille-et-Vilaine General Council. 
The Institut français regularly supports the international touring of Musée de la danse.
 
Coproduction Ruhrtriennale – International Festival of the Arts, Théâtre National de Bretagne-Rennes, Théâtre de la Ville and Festival d’Automne Paris, Holland Festival Amsterdam, steirischer herbst Graz, Kunstenfestivaldesarts Brussels, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main
 
World premiere at Ruhrtriennale – International Festival of the Arts , Jahrhunderthalle Bochum, September 23, 26 and 27, 2014

Thanks to Imane Alguimaret, Marguerite Chassé, Noé Couderc,Lune Guidini, Hypolite Tanguy, the students from P.A.R.T.S. and Master-Studiengang Performance Studies (University of Hamburg) & Alexandra Vincens and Anna Clair Hauf.