Decouflé at La Villette
Aaaaahh Philippe Decouflé! Great French choreographer, who prior to setting up his own company DCA in 1983, did his training at the circus, in mime, and in contemporary dance, and since then he has created ballets and poetic, comic, and highly visual hybrid shows for the greatest pleasure of all audiences, even the youngest! He practically invented an aesthetic, and his genius is, no doubt the way in which he mixes, in his creations without hierarchy, references to comic books, to hip-hop, to the circus, practical jokes
(with for example the great Christophe Salengro, also known for his role as President of Groland), music of all kinds, be it Noisy, lyrical, rock, or synthetic, and magical light shows. Topping it all off with, each time an impressive ability to tell powerful and poignant stories through dance and image.
Even though Decouflé has been writing and producing since 1983 he is still young. The triple program offered at La Villette illustrates this. First, there is the exhibition Opticon, a gallery of interactive visual wonders displayed in a fairground atmosphere, a moment of pure magic under the huge metal frame of the Grande Halle. And then there is Panorama, a show bringing together excerpts from the ballets created by Decouflé in 2006, performed by young dancers. And in these, no doubt: the wonderment is intact.
Decouflé managed to dust off small anachronisms that were too 1980′s and to re – invent it them in a 2012 style. We enjoy each passage as a precious gem, admiring the multi-faceted talent of the performers, as time flies by. One regret: here, because of the principle of the show, even if the transitions are well-made, these are more as smaller stories that come together rather than a large narrative, which does not always leave time for the audience’s emotions to settle.
But what a pleasure, and what a joy! Discover the shows which bring together an exhibition and a show,
for all ages, for families and whatever language you speak!
Show and exhibition Decouflé at la Villette, until July 15.
Coming to Paris? Stay at Hotel Jules or Hotel Beauchamps and enjoy this show and exhibition while you are in the city!
Hotel Jules 49-51 rue La Fayette, Paris 9ème – Opéra
T: + 33 1 42 85 05 44. reservations@hoteljules.com - www.hoteljules.com
Hôtel Beauchamps 24 Rue de Ponthieu, Paris 8ème – Champs-Elysées
T: +33 (0)1-53-89-58-58. info@hotelbeauchamps.com
www.glahotels.com
G.L.A Hotels, the luxury hotels specialist
