A choreographic extract remodelled by the group A Corps danse, artistic coordinator Claire Van Vlamertynghe, as part of the “Danse en amateur et repertoire” programme 2020/2022 (a programme created to assist and promote amateur dancing). Transmission by Philippe Lafeuille.

Presented on 18 June 2022, Maison de la danse in Lyon.

The piece when it was created 

Cendrillon

Firstly produced 3 to 12 November 2011 at Maison de la danse, Lyon

Choreography: Philippe Lafeuille

Piece for eight performers: Pascal Allio, Romain Arreghini, Arnaud Boursain, Anthony Couroyer, Vivien Letarnec, Alexis Ochin, Victor Virnot and Rodolphe Fouillot

Music: Ran Slavin, Sergueï Prokofiev (extracts from the ballet Cendrillon), Arvo Pärt, Björk, Värttinä, Antisten and sound extracts from the Walt Disney picture

Original duration: 1h15

The group

The group A Corps danse, made up of 9 experienced female dancers aged from 38 to 60 years, was founded in 2010. For their third entry in the programme Amateur Dance and Repertoire, the group asked choreographer Philippe Lafeuille to entrust them with an extract from his piece Cendrillon (2011), which he is currently reprising with his company Chicos Mambo. Having steeped themselves in Daniel Larrieu’s elastic choreography in 2014, then in the volatile, fluid movements of Carolyn Carlson, in 2017, the dancers are diving into a new robust, playful style of dance. Under the guidance of dance teacher, Claire Van Vlamertynghe, the dancers of A corps danse love to explore different choreographic approaches to enrich and expand their physical range of expression.  

The project

Lafeuille’s version of Perrault’s Cinderella, is a story of transformation and the search for happiness that resonates with the dancers’ own life journeys. The stories themes - the transition from girlhood to womanhood, from servant to princess, the search for love, etc. –  speak to the construction of feminine identity. The dancers were also drawn to show’s “recyclable” props and costumes. Created for male dancers, but designed with “unisex” roles, this time the piece is performed by an all female cast. Dancing roles that are neither feminine, nor masculine represented another challenge for the dancers. To the music of Prokofiev, and some sequences of contemporary music, this modern Cinderella is performed on a stage covered in rubbish bags, plastic packets and disposable cups.  

Philippe Lafeuille is a dancer, choreographer and director. After discovering dance through a Maurice Béjart show, he decided to enrol in a programme at the Académie Solange Golovine, and was soon dancing for a variety of choreographers such as Joseph RUSSILLO and later Peter GOSS, for whom he would perform the main plays. During his career, Philippe Philippe Lafeuille also danced with Madonna and even Rudolf NUREYEV. A multifaceted artist, each of his creations is a playing field where all genres are mixed: dance, theatre, humour, visual arts… Anything is possible!

He began his choreography career by founding CHICOS MAMBO, for whom he was the principal performer. With this first company, he did what he enjoyed the most – turning dance into comedy! Philippe Lafeuille enjoys surrounding himself with artists in his creations, not just for the lighting and sound, but also for the visual universe (sets, costumes). Among other things, for several years he has been working with the illuminator Dominique Mabileau, and the visual artist Corinne Petitpierre, who participated in the creation of "Tutu".    

A generous artist, cultural activity has played an important part in his career. With the desire to make the repertoire and choreographic culture accessible, he is an Associated Artist at the Scène Nationale de Cergy-Pontoise on projects such as dance workshops in schools, amateur dance groups, etc.

Source: Val production / Tutu

More information

philippelafeuille.com

Film director, Ivan Chaumeille, has worked with choreographer Dominique Brun a long time, most notably in the production of + One (2014), a creative documentary scheduled as part of the festival “Vidéodanse”, in the editing of which Rafaël Gubitsch participated; he filmed and edited two versions of Afternoon of a faun, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinski for the film Le Faune -un film ou la fabrique de l’archive. He also carried out interviews, and devised and formulated the ROM and video dimensions of the DVD (2007). He shot video sequences for the show Medea-Stimmen by Virginie Mirbeau, created at Festival Les Météores CNN du Havre (2008). With a background in philosophy, he produced a creative documentary entitled Avec François Châtelet, un voyage différentiel (2010) for the collection “À Contre-temps” in co-production with Groupe Galactica, Mosaïque films and Canal 15.

Amateur Dance and Repertory is a companion program to amateur practice beyond the dance class and the technical learning phase. Intended for groups of amateur dancers, it opens a space of sharing for those who wish to deepen a practice and a knowledge of the dance in relation to its history.

Laurent Barré
 Head of Research and Choreographic Directories
Anne-Christine Waibel
 Research Assistant and Choreographic Directories
 +33 (0)1 41 83 43 96
danse-amateur-repertoire@cnd.fr

Source: CN D

More information: https://www.cnd.fr/en/page/323-danse-en-amateur-et-repertoire-grant-programme