Elisabeth Petit is one of the rare dancers of Bharata Natyam to testify to the universal character of this splendid dance whose aesthetic scope and infinite richness transcend time and borders. She is accompanied by V.S. Muthuswany Pillai, one of the greatest masters of Bharata Natyam and its musicians. 

Source: Programme de salle de la Maison de la Danse de Lyon

Elisabeth Petit studied classical dance at the Ecole Supérieure d'Etudes Chorégraphiques in Paris. She studies contemporary dance - Graham and Limon techniques - at the International Dance Center in Paris; then the Nikolai technique with Quentin Rouiller, Carolyn Carlson and Alwin Nikolaïs
> She approaches the study of Indian dance in 1979, in Paris, with Malavika, then Maïtreyi.
That same year, she became a student at Madras, Sri V. Sr. Muthuswamy Pillai and Srimati Kalanidhi Narayanan.
> Fellow of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 1986, she presented her Arangetram (first recital) in Madras in 1985.
> In 1988 she received the "Villa Medicis off the Walls" scholarship. She has appeared in numerous recitals in India, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, Belgium, Italy, Yugoslavia, Guyana, alone, or accompanied by her teacher and musicians.
> In 1992, Elisabeth Petit began a choreographic research project based on her dual training in India and the West. This takes the form of a duet with Mathilde Monnier, choreographed by Christian Trouillas, accompanied by a musical encounter between Louis Sclavis and Balachandar (mridangam); and a solo on a musical composition by Jean Paul Céléa (Autumn Festival in Paris, Lille Festival, tour in India).
> Following a three-month residency, she created in 1996 a contemporary choreography for three dancers, at the CNDC d'Angers, then at the Montpellier Festival.
> Elisabeth returns in 1998 to the solo recital of Bharata Natyam, and deepens a work of appropriation of the Abhinaya (expressive aspect of Indian dance).
> In 2004 she began an artistic collaboration with Priyadarsini Govind: the elaboration and the realization of a recital choreographed and danced by this one. A first recital is thus created in 2006 at the Théâtre de la Ville, in Paris. A second recital will be created in 2008, again at the Théâtre de la Ville and Chateauvallon.
> In 2007, she created "SAHASAM", a Young Audience show created at the Maison de la Danse in Lyon, which she choreographed and performed with Priyadarsini Govind.
> In 2009, Elisabeth organizes a fourth European tour for Priyadarsini and continues her artistic collaboration with her.
> In 2010, she collaborated on the writing of a book published by "Actes Sud" on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Montpellier Danse International Festival. It traces the history of "Montpellier Danse and India".
> In 2011, she organizes the arrival of Priyadarsini Govind in Paris, for two recitals at the Guimet Museum.
> In December 2012, Elisabeth is invited to present a conference danced during the annual Dance and Music Festival of Chennai, India. The theme proposed to the artists for this Natya Kala Conference held at Krishna Gana Sabha is: "When parallels meet" and the title of his lecture: "The unlikely encounters".
Source: Studio of the Golden Hand

Author, filmmaker and video artist Charles Picq (1952-2012) entered working life in the 70s through theatre and photography. A- fter resuming his studies (Maîtrise de Linguistique - Lyon ii, Maîtrise des sciences et Techniques de la Communication - grenoble iii), he then focused on video, first in the field of fine arts at the espace Lyonnais d'art Contemporain (ELAC) and with the group « Frigo », and then in dance.
   On creation of the Maison de la Danse in Lyon in 1980, he was asked to undertake a video documentation project that he has continued ever since. During the ‘80s, a decade marked in France by the explosion of contemporary dance and the development of video, he met numerous artists such as andy Degroat, Dominique Bagouet, Carolyn Carlson, régine Chopinot, susanne Linke, Joëlle Bouvier and regis Obadia, Michel Kelemenis. He worked in the creative field with installations and on-stage video, as well as in television with recorded shows, entertainment and documentaries.

His work with Dominique Bagouet (80-90) was a unique encounter. He documents his creativity, assisting with Le Crawl de Lucien and co-directing with his films Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux and 10 anges. in the 90s he became director of video development for the Maison de la Danse and worked, with the support of guy Darmet and his team, in the growing space of theatre video through several initiatives:
       - He founded a video library of dance films with free public access. This was a first for France. Continuing the video documentation of theatre performances, he organised their management and storage.
       - He promoted the creation of a video-bar and projection room, both dedicated to welcoming school pupils.
       - He started «présentations de saisons» in pictures.
       - He oversaw the DVD publication of Le tour du monde en 80 danses, a pocket video library produced by the Maison de la Danse for the educational sector.

       - He launched the series “scènes d'écran” for television and online. He undertook the video library's digital conversion and created Numeridanse.

His main documentaries are: enchaînement, Planète Bagouet, Montpellier le saut de l'ange, Carolyn Carlson, a woman of many faces, grand ecart, Mama africa, C'est pas facile, Lyon, le pas de deux d'une ville, Le Défilé, Un rêve de cirque.

He has also produced theatre films: Song, Vu d'ici (Carolyn Carlson), Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux, 10 anges, Necesito and So schnell, (Dominique Bagouet), Im bade wannen, Flut and Wandelung (Susanne Linke), Le Cabaret Latin (Karine Saporta), La danse du temps (Régine Chopinot), Nuit Blanche (Abou Lagraa), Le Témoin (Claude Brumachon), Corps est graphique (Käfig), Seule et WMD (Françoise et Dominique Dupuy), La Veillée des abysses (James Thiérrée), Agwa (Mourad Merzouki), Fuenteovejuna (Antonio Gades), Blue Lady revistied (Carolyn Carlson).

Source: Maison de la Danse de Lyon