“I want to plunge my dance into Turak’s universe, soak the dancers in this bath. The commission I give Michel is as follows: imagine universes, objects, characters, puppets who must be opportunities for play for the choreography.

L.O.U.P is not an object theatre show. There is no question of me transforming the dancers into actors or manipulators. All the devices imagined by Michel will be supports for the choreography. Turak’s poetic universe is not a constraint, but, on the contrary, will open up doors for the dancers. I leave the words that have followed me for the past ten years to approach, with Michel, a poetic and sensitive choreographic writing around the wolf. I say around and not on as we shall avoid touching the wolf too much (it’s not a good idea). 

We shall turn around it, watch out for its tracks in us and around us. For this, we shall sound the memories of bodies and objects, and question them before placing them into movement.

For this encounter, Michel Laubu and myself wished to use a theme that is meaningful in both our languages. I didn’t want a narration (too restrictive for choreography). The wolf is not a work theme but rather a starting image. We shall work on this image, its memory and its various forms. We shall start from the wolf, functioning by association of ideas or images (and not in an encyclopaedic manner). From Little Red Riding Hood to the young, ambitious executive, not to forget the hunt and angels, we shall let the wolf fantasy impregnate objects and bodies. 

The aim is not to represent the wolf as an animal (Canis Lupus) but to track down in each object and in each human body, the dream wolf.”

After training in classical and contemporary dance at the CNSMD in Lyon and a brief career as a performer (Josette Baïz), Denis Plassard created his first solo Propos in 1990, which gave its name to the company he founded the following year. He was awarded the D.E. as a teacher of contemporary dance in 1991. He has been choreographer and dancer with Cie Propos for over 30 years.

Over the years with the company, he has built up a vast repertoire of non-mainstream shows that combine acting, text and humour. Alongside these stage adventures, Denis Plassard has developed original artistic projects involving photography (Hors Sol, photo novels), sound design (audioguides, audio-guided warm-ups, indoor radio guidance, etc.) and acting (La clinique du docteur D).

Since the beginning of the Cie Propos adventure, he has nurtured a passion for transmission and the invention of processes for working with audiences, with the idea of sharing a dance that is accessible to all.

He is regularly invited by other theatres (CDN de Valence, Théâtre Craie, Turak, Raskine & Cie), circus companies (Virevolt, CNAC, Rasposo), music companies (Ensemble Boréades) and dance companies (Käfig, Panthera Ballet Kazan Russia).

Source : The company Propos 's website

More information : compagnie-propos.com

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