La forêt ébouriffée - Compagnie Christian et François Ben Aïm

La forêt ébouriffée
Creation 2013
au 08.04.14
La forêt ébouriffée
From the book La forêt de Racine of Mélusine Thiry
Audience: From 6 years
Running time: 45 mins
Choreography and set design
Christian and François Ben Aïm
Performance
Grégoire Puren or Lee Davern, Gill Viandier or Vincent Delétang
Videos
Mélusine Thiry
Music
Jean-Baptiste Sabiani
Sauf version instrumentale de Mourir à deux de Maël
Lights
Laurent Patissier
Costumes
Dulcie Best
Sound and video direction
Luc Béril or Sébastien Teulié
Light direction
Laurent Patissier or Patrice Pépin
Actor film
Aurélie Berland
Voice-over
Fanny Eidel – Biju-Duval, Christian Ben Aïm
Production: CFB 451
Coproductions: Espace 1789 à Saint-Ouen, CCN de Roubaix Nord-Pas de Calais - Carolyn Carlson, Le Théâtre
de Rungis
Support: Atelier de Paris – Carolyn Carlson
Choreographic residency: Vélo Théâtre – Apt
ArTistic intentions
A PIECE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES IN RESONANCE WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THE COMPANY
Respond to an artistic proposal is always a challenge. Projecting new ideas and be surprised by the directions and
universe they generate is often a source of enrichment and discovery in their creative process.
If the creation of a piece for young audiences is a first time in the work of the choreographers, the majority of their
work have been presented for school sessions as well: Un homme en marche, Carcasse un oeil pour deux,You’re
a bird, now ! , Valse en trois temps , and L’Ogresse des archives et son chien.
Tell a story without minimizing the significant impact of body and choreography. This choreography seeks out
children from age 6 to 10, which will allow to question more specific concepts of our approach, like the mode of
narration or the place of abstraction.
A triptych of varied and complementary forms
© Mélusine Thiry
This new project has a strong echo with the work of videographer Melusine Thiry
who worked since 2007 on various creations of the company (You’re a bird, now!,
Resistance au droit, L’Ogresse des archives et son chien) Mélusine is also an author
and illustrator of children’s books and develops various methods on tables and luminous mobiles. Videos created by Melusine Thiry and projected during the play will be
like an open window on the imagination of the boy Root. Off the stage, the audience
will continue this amazing journey through two artistic projects conducted in close
cooperation with creation:
Illustration of La forêt de Racine
-new children’s book of Melusine Thiry which will be published in the edition Hongfei Cultures in 2013. Exploring
the literary side of the creation, it will be an educational tool for scholar sessions.
- an exhibition consisting of a device of projections of lights and shadows inhabited by silhouettes in motion halfway
between the book and the play. Exploring media transparency, appearances / disappearances, transformations
and overlays of shadows, the images created will be on the movable rotary engines. The exhibition will be presented in libraries or theaters.
Thematics
In La forêt ébouriffée, the heroe, Racine, is not like other
little boys, no one has noticed that a forest has grown inside
his head. Fleeing from a hostile grandmother and traumatic
daily life, he runs into it to take refuge. It is in this encroaching
forest, which changes with his emotions, that the little boy
sets off on the most surprising adventures, gradually tracing a
path that leads him back to himself.
Forest, the natural world and symbolic space, a place of mystery and propitious for an initiation process. Space
of abandonment, withdrawal, fear, isolation, meditation, silence, visions, danger, and space of wonder ... It can be
both the world where one gets lost, and the one where one discovers his true nature.
POETIC IMAGES AS THE EXTENSION OF THE BODY IN DANCE
In the continuity of the explorations of our last creations, with
the different processes of projection, we wish to plunge the
spectator into a world of awaken dreams, mixing virtuality and
reality, thus provoking a deepening sense between bodies and
images. The projected images will oscillte between abstract
and concrete elements but will always be treated as a scenography.
© Patrick Berger
© Estelle Brugerolles
After L’Ogresse des archives et son chien, performance mixing
dance, circus and live music on the theme of fantastic tales,
Christian and François Ben Aïm wish to continue to explore
stories drawn from the pot of our wonderful worlds.
christian and françois Ben Aïm
A company
The Ben Aïm brothers are all of this, and more: a fifteen-year partnership that has
produced some twenty creations, strengthened by artistic collaborations from all
backgrounds. Their story reads like a ploughed furrow, dug with the expertise of
field workers liaising with performance spaces and communities. In the past three
years, they have created some 350 shows that have helped them to establish an
authentic company identity.
© DR
Two choreographer-dancers
After studying dance, physical theatre and circus skills, they each set out to
develop their performing careers independently in Canada and France. Once
reunited, they laid the foundations for their company, which functions around
the fraternal dynamic created by François and Christian: a meeting of minds and
instincts, they continually bounce ideas off each other to produce artistic projects
in constant evolution.
© DR
Standout pieces
In 1996, the brothers created their cornerstone piece: A l’abri du regard des
hommes, avant d’aller mourir ailleurs, a hybrid performance in which dancers and
actors share and feed off each other’s raw physical energy. La Frontera and Ne
vous fiez pas au titre, il peut encore changer followed in the same vein, showcasing a style of dance that blends subtle humour with elements of surprise. Other
signature pieces include the diptych inspired by the work of Bernard-Marie Koltès,
Carcasses, un œil pour deux and En plein cœur, whose original scenography
and music resonate with the playwright’s texts. Among their latest productions,
L’Ogresse des archives et son chien plays fully on the intersection of different
disciplines, while Valse en trois temps flirts with minimalism. The brothers have
also created in situ works on location, such as the monumental Mangrove Groove
in China, and the ‘all-terrain’ piece Karma performed throughout the Pas-deCalais region.
Partner venues
This path has been possible thanks to the loyal support of numerous performance spaces, including municipal theatres (the Théâtre de Vanves, Théâtre Louis
Aragon de Tremblay-en-France, and the Théâtre de la Madeleine de Troyes, with
whom they partnered for six years), national theatres (Mâcon, Aubusson), Centres
Chorégraphiques Nationaux (Roubaix, Orléans, Créteil), and L’Espace 1789 in
Saint-Ouen.
The company’s development is characterised by open-mindedness, exemplified by
intimate solos that open up towards large-scale pieces, a physical style of writing that
engages with cross-disciplinary art forms, and connections that lead to partnerships
both within their local communities and abroad. It is also characterised by passion,
which is always reignited when they push artistic and geographic boundaries.
Background
1997
A l’abri du regard des hommes, avant d’aller mourir ailleurs (first creation) - 5 performers / Festival
Avignon Off 1998
1998
L’Homme Rapaillé - 5 performers
1999
Un homme en marche - 5 performers / Festival Avignon Off 2001
2000
Creation dof the company CFB 451
2001
La Frontera - 5 performers
Ô mon frère ! - 3 performers / Festival Avignon Off 2011
2003
Ne vous fiez pas au titre, il peut encore changer – 3 performers
2004
Carcasses, un œil pour deux - 2 performers
2004-2006 Residency at Micadanses / Paris
2006
En plein cœur - 9 performers
Les quatres saisons de l’amour - 35 perfomers / Gala dinner for Amway – China
2006-2009 Residency of 3 years at the Théâtre de La Madeleine scène conventionée de Troyes
2007
You’re a bird, now ! - Solo
2007-2008 Residency Territoire(s) de la danse au Théâtre Louis Aragon – Tremblay-en-France
2008
Louves - Solo
Amor Fati Fati Amor - 6 performers
2009-2012
Artistes associés au théâtre de La Madeleine - Scène conventionnée de Troyes, avec l’aide de la Région
Champagne-Ardenne
2010
Valse en trois temps - 4 performers / Festival Avignon Off 2011
Résistance au droit - 4 performers
2011-2012
Residency at l’Espace 1789 de Saint-Ouen
2011
L’Ogresse des archives et son chien - 9 performers (dancers, musicians and artists circus)
Mangrove groove, China - 50 performers / Publicis Event - Shenzhen, Chine.
2012
L’orée des visages (short form) - 4 performers / Collaboration with the company Pseudonymo
2013
Karma - 3 performers / Commissioned by the CCN de Roubaix - Carolyn Carlson
La forêt ébouriffée - 2 performers / Création jfor young audience (from 7 years)
L’orée des visages (long form) - 4 performers/ Collaboration with the company Pseudonymo
biographies
performance: Grégoire Puren
The son of an actor, Grégoire Puren started performing for audiences from a very early
age, and followed a complementary path by entering the Annie Fratellini circus school
followed by Le Samovar theatre school in Paris. His early projects culminated in street
theatre and company productions, in which he applied his multidisciplinary training in
commedia dell’arte, clowning, acrobatics, Chinese pole and physical theatre, collaborating with Claire Heggen, Amy Atthab, Pina Blankevort, Franck Dinet, and the Malabar,
Rasposo and Les Sangles companies. Since then he has continued to explore contemporary forms of artistic expression and the world of choreography by regularly attending workshops and courses with Catherine Dubois, Jordi Vidal and Jackie Taffanel,
among others. He started working with Christian and François Ben Aïm in 2010, performing in L’Ogresse des archives et son chien (2011) .
performance: Gill Viandier
After graduating with a degree in architecture in 1997, Gill Viandier decided to explore the
world of contemporary dance, training mainly at the Centre Chorégraphique National
(CCN) of Rennes with Catherine Diverrès, and at the CCN of Montpellier with Mathilde
Monnier. In 1999 he joined Jackie Taffanel’s company, and since 2003 he has worked with
the companies of Michèle Murray, Didier Théron, Hélène Cathala, Emmanuelle Vo-Dinh,
Georges Appaix, Christophe Haleb and Philippe Saire. Gill Viandier is also interested in
visual art and set design. He made his first theatre set design in 2007, and created public
space performance installations with the site-specific project #Number#. As a musician,
he has participated in lyrical and improvised projects in Denis Tricot’s L’Orgue de bois. In
2009 he moved to Berlin, where he has worked with Willi Dorner, William Forsythe and
Christoph Winkler, along with Hans Tuerlings in the Netherlands. He has collaborated with
Christian and François Ben Aïm in the pieces L’Ogresse des archives et son chien (2011).
Alterning with
performance: Lee Davern
Born in Oxford, Lee Davern began training as a professional dancer when he was 20 years
old, at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in the UK. He started his performing career with the Dance Theater of Ireland, the Wired Aerial Theater, Tom Dale and
Protein companies. In 2007 he collaborated with the Icelandic company Himherandit
Productions on a piece that was presented at the Reykjavik Dance Festival, then worked
with the Swiss company Alias led by Guilherme Botelho. In 2009 he joined the Jasmin
Vardimon company and the Royal Opera House in the UK, before collaborating with
DV8 Physical Theater on two productions and international tours. In 2012 he moved to
Paris, where he has worked with the Ôma-Belles Embardées company on Animal Social
(2011), the choreographer Ingrid Florin in Au nom du père (2013), and the choreographer
Kim Brandstrup in the opera Médée (2012).
performance: Vincent Delétang
After graduating with a degree in English and obtaining his postgraduate certificate in
education, Vincent Delétang trained in dance at the Conservatoire National de Région
de Paris before studying at the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine (CNDC) of
Angers under Emmanuelle Huynh. In 2008 he performed with the Paco Dècina company, and since 2010 he has collaborated on a number of productions with Carolyn Carlson, for whom he has worked as assistant choreographer and performer in two editions
of the Dansewindows project. He has also collaborated with Camille Ollagnier on his
project Les Garçons Sauvages, in which he performed the solo Elseneur. He developed
his own choreographic writing in the collective DesiDelà, notably creating A deux dans
une manche with Virginie Quigneaux. The holder of a State Diploma and a Master’s
degree in Culture and Communication, he has developed numerous educational and
creative projects for a range of different non-professional groups (schools, hospitals,
and associations).
vidEos: Mélusine Thiry
Mélusine Thiry trained as an audiovisual artist and now works in the performing arts
sector as a videographer. She also creates visual effects and lighting props for musical
and concerts, children’s shows and dance performances. As an author and illustrator,
she has published children’s books since 2008. She has worked as a videographer and/or
author on several creatons by the Christian et François Ben Aïm company: You’re a bird,
now! (2009) Résistance au droit (2010), L’Ogresse des archives et son chien (2011) and La
Forêt ébouriffée (2013).
costumes: Dulcie Best
A graduate of the Welsh College of Music and Drama, Dulcie Best has been a professional costume designer and visual artist since 1990. She has designed the costumes for
international events such as the opening ceremony of the Euro 2008 football championship and the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. In addition to these major productions, she pursues her creative passion by working in the performing arts. She first met
Christian and François Ben Aïm in 2006 at a choreographic event featuring 35 artists,
and has since designed and made the costumes for a number of their pieces: Louves
(2008), L’ogresse des archives et son chien (2011) and La forêt ébouriffée (2013).
lights: Laurent Patissier
After an eclectic early career in special events and television, followed by 15 years in the
lighting industry (working on shows, national and international tours), Laurent Patissier
decided to focus on lighting design for the performing arts. He has worked as a lighting
designer on theatre productions, dance performances, puppet shows, music concerts
and exhibitions, and has collaborated with a roll-call of performing artists and companies. He recently designed the lighting for the contemporary dance pieces Rock ’n’
Roll Suicide by Die Donau (Andréa Sitter) and Il Progetto Indispensabile by La Ventura
company (Ana Ventura); the Hip Hop dance duo Phorm (David Colas and Santiago); the
play La Permanence des Choses, un Essai sur l’Inquiétude by the Association Perspective Nevski (Sandrine Roche); and the puppet show Avis de Messe Marionettique by the
Contre Ciel company (Luc Laporte).
Laurent Patissier first worked with the Christian et François Ben Aïm company in 1998 on
L’homme rapaillé, and since 2004 has designed the lighting for all of their pieces.
music: Jean-Baptiste Sabiani
Jean-Baptiste Sabiani studied at the Centre d’Information Musicale (CIM) before following a five-year programme at the
American School of Modern Music from 1990 to 1995, specialising in piano. During his career he has written, recorded and
arranged compositions in the fields of jazz, theatre and film. Since 2010, he has composed and/or arranged the musical
scores for all of the productions written by Christian and François Ben Aïm: Résistance au droit (2010), Valse en trois temps
(2010), L’ogresse des archives et son chien (2011), Karma (2013), and La forêt ébouriffée (2013).
CONTACTS
CFB 451
53 Rue du Général Leclerc
94270 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre - France
+ 33 (0)1 43 60 76 11
www.cfbenaim.com
Ambre Takei
Administrative manager
[email protected]
Marion Gatier
Production and tour manager
[email protected]
Fanny Debray
In charge of communication and public relations
[email protected]
The company is generously supported by la Direction régionale des affaires culturelles d’Île-de-France – Ministère de la
Culture et de la Communication, au titre de l’aide à la compagnie chorégraphique conventionnée, la Région Île-de-France
au titre de la Permanence Artistique et Culturelle et de l’Emploi-tremplin, le Conseil Général du Val-de-Marne au titre de
l’aide au fonctionnement. The company is currently in residence at the Théâtre de Rungis.
Photo coverage: ©Estelle Brugerolles