Whack !! is the representation of the following situation: two bodies colliding in space. The strategies are eclectic and funny but the commitment in the effort is always serious, brushing even irrational. Preventing the other, constrain him, forcing him to deploy ingenious and diplomatic maneuvers are all possible under the innocent gaze of a child, witnessing the endurance and the ability of man to face what an obstacle, as well as the absurdity of the need to surpass the other.

Source : Maison de la Danse

Ashley  Chen fait ses études au Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et  Danse de Paris de 1994 à 1999. Après une création avec Thomas Duchâtelet, il s’envole en 2000 vers New-York pour intégrer la Merce Cunningham Dance Company.  Il y reste quatre ans, participe à cinq créations et danse une dizaine  de pièces du répertoire. Il revient ensuite en France et joint le Ballet  de l’Opéra de Lyon, où il interprète des pièces des chorégraphes Christian Rizzo, Angelin Preljocaj, William Forsythe, Russel Maliphant, Mathilde Monnier et Trisha Brown.

En 2006, il quitte le Ballet pour sillonner l’Europe et les différentes collaborations. Il travaille avec John Scott et Liz Roche à Dublin, Michael Clark à Londres, Jean-Luc Ducourt et Michèle Ann de Mey à Bruxelles, Philippe Decouflé, Boris Charmatz, Mié Coquempot, Fabrice Dugied en France.

En 2002, Ashley Chen chorégraphie We’re all grown up now! à New-York. Un an après, il monte avec Marise la Lagrave I’m not a Gurrel!!, vidéo-danse filmée dans l’état de New-York. En 2008, il crée à Lyon avec le collectif Loge 22 I meant to move. En 2012, il fonde la compagnie Kashyl, dans le Calvados en Normandie. Il crée Habits/Habits en 2013, Whack !! en 2015 en collaboration avec Philip Connaughton, Chance, Space & Time en 2016. Il crée un triptyque chorégraphique sur les états de notre société avec les pièces Unisson (2018), Rush (2019) et la prochaine création Distances (2021). 

Ashley  Chen has trained at the CNSMD in Paris. After one project with Thomas  Duchâtelet, he joins the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New-York in  2000. He moves back Europe, after four years to integrate the Lyon Opera  Ballet where he performs works by William Forsyth, Trisha Brown,  Philippe Decouflé, Christian Rizzo, Mathilde Monnier, Russel Maliphant  and Ohad Naharin. In 2006, Ashley Chen decides to become a free-lance  dancer and works with different choreographers throughout Europe, such  as John Scott and Liz Roche in Ireland, Michael Clark in the U.K.,  Michele Ann de Mey and Jean-Luc Ducourt in Belgium, Philipe Decouflé and  Boris Charmatz in France (still currant), he also works with Robert  Swinston as performer and assistant on works by Cunningham.

In  2012 he established Compagnie Kashyl based in Normandy (France). He has  a strong desire to investigate his individual creative process leading  to significant and unconventional works. He has since created Habits/Habits (2012), Whack!! (2015, in collaboration with Philip Connaughton), Chance, Space & Time (2016), Unisson (2018) and Rush (2019). He is currently working on a group piece for 10 performers, Distances (January 2021).

Source and more information: https://www.kashyl.com/

Born in 1977, Fabien Plasson is a video director specialized in the field of performing arts (dance , music, etc).

During his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (joined in 1995) Fabien discovered video art. He was trained by various video artists (Joel Bartoloméo Pascal Nottoli , Eric Duyckaerts , etc).
He first experimented with the creation of installations and cinematic objects.

From 2001 to 2011, he was in charge of Ginger & Fred video Bar’s programming at La Maison de la Danse in Lyon. He discovered the choreographic field and the importance of this medium in the dissemination, mediation and pedagogical approach to dance alongside Charles Picq, who was a brilliant video director and the director of the video department at that time.

Today, Fabien Plasson is the video director at La Maison de la Danse and in charge of the video section of Numeridanse.tv, an online international  video library, and continues his creative activities, making videos of concerts, performances and also creating video sets for live performances.

Sources: Maison de la Danse ; Fabien Plasson website

More information: fabione.fr