Contemporary Technique
to get known of physical concepts

“In this workshop we will work around certain choreographic ideas developed in my collaborations with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Exploring different qualities of movements, using intuition and personal background, each participant will be invited to develop and transform some taught repertoire phrases. We'll use certain physical concepts and imagery developed in previous pieces (“rien de rien”, “foi”, “d'avant”, “tempus fugit”) for composition. Kneepads recommended.



Damien Jalet
Damien Jalet is a French and Belgian choreographer and performer. He has been working as the closest and more regular collaborator of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui since 2000 within Les Ballets C de la B and the eastman company (he danced in the pieces: "rien de rein", "foi", "tempus fugit", "myth" and the recent "Tezuka").

He and Cherkaoui signed together few pieces like "Babel (words)" [two Olivier awards 2011 (best new dance production and greatest achievement in new dance) and prix Benois de la Danse for the best choreography at Bolshoi, Moscow], and the piece "d'avant" produced by Sasha Waltz and guests. Jalet also works very regularly with Icelandic choreographer Erna Omarsdottir , together they have been creating a few works in collaboration with visual artist Gabriela Fridriksdottir: "transaquania-out of the blue", "transaquania-into thin air" and "Ofaett (unborn)". Omarsdottir and Jalet also created "black marrow" for renowned Australian company Chunky move at the Melbourne International Festival 2009. In 2008 Jalet premiered his piece "three spells" with dancer Alexandra Gilbert and composer Fennesz for the Tokyo International Arts Festival. He also worked with other renowned choreographers such as Wim Vandekeybus ("the day of heaven and hell") and Akram Khan (for who he devised a solo in the piece "Desh").

Jalet has developed a big number of collaborations with high level artists in different fields such as theater director Arthur Nauzyciel (choreography and performances in many productions such as "Julius Caesar" for the A.R.T., Boston or "the seagull" at the Cour d'honneur du Palais des Papes at Avignon Festival).
He worked with visual artist Antony Gormley (Babel) and Jim Hodges (show 2011 at Gladstone Gallery NY). He collaborated with musicians Lady and Bird (choreography of the opera "red waters", Olöf Arnalds [script and choreography of music video "Surrender" (a duet with Bjork)], Florence and the Machine (choreography of the "no Light no light" music video) and Editors (choreography of video "You don't know love", all the three videos directed by Arni and Kinski and cinematographer Christopher Doyle).

He also worked with photographer Nick Knight and designer Bernhard Willhelm (for the video "men in tights") and with the philosopher Giorgio Agemben and contemporary musician Stefano Scodanibio (choreography of the opera "il cielo sulla terra" at Stuttgart opera).

His next project is a new version of Ravel's Bolero, co-signed with Cherkaoui and performance artist Marina Abramovic for the Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris in 2013.
Jalet has taught his very specific contemporary dance technique in various companies and institutions such as Pina Bausch Tanztheater (Wuppertal), ImPulsTanz (Vienna), Panetta Movement Center (New York), Centros de las Artes (Mexico), Chunky Move (Melbourne), Atelier de Paris and Ménagerie de Verre (Paris) among others.