This piece questions the cultural, historical, geographical and social borders. Imagined and created in collaboration with Germany, "La Traversée“ presents a dialogue between dancers, musicians and sculptures in the landscape imprinted by history. An urge to symbolically contextualize the two first fights at Verdun in August 1914 initiated the French-German co-creation "Dance-Land Art“. The project very first rose on an ephemeral stage in the middle of the River „Orne“ (the river that was a strategical and dramatic location on August 24th and 25th 1914). The dance speaks without words. Would it have had a different impact on the warrior who still believed he must carry on the fight? The company endorses this hope with dance: by transmitting sensitivity to the cause and taking a stance of understanding ourselves through living for what truly matters; life and movement.  This choreography concentrates on the link and the abundance that emerges from the reconciliation between people who endured this dismay for several generations. It provides an invitation to taking on the internal journey: by the evocation of existence, through the look carried inward, and possibly outward. Gestures of love, war and vigour will compose an anthology for the mysterious origins and will attempt to reawaken our attention to the Man athirsted for the "Almighty Power". Postcard backgrounds and sound landscapes will open up an initiation path filled with war memories that welcomes everyone to wake up to their own story.
 

Music:

Composition with the Clavicorde by Pascal Schweren (DE), and sound landscapes by Antoine Arlot (FR).
 

Lights Creation:

Christophe Constantin (FR)
 

Set Design:

Xavier Thomen (FR)
 

Costumes:

Marie Thomen (FR)
 

Premiere:

Theater Premiere presented of the 7th November 2015 in the Theater of la Maison d’Elsa in Jarny - on February 12th in Katakomben Theater in Essen. Short extract as a Land-art showing were presented on June 6th 2015 in Jeandelize (FR) - Festival "Paysage en chantier #2“.