On Sunday 8 May, the Théâtre de Périgueux opened its doors to the public for an unprecedented event: a national meeting of dancers with or without disabilities. This initiative, supported by the Regional Committee for Inclusive Dance in collaboration with the French Dance Federation, aimed to bring together disabled and non-disabled dancers around a common choreographic project. The opportunity to stimulate your creativity and open new horizons in the infinite field of movement.
Communicating through dance
There are as many different individuals as there are ways to move and dance: based on this idea, dancers from all walks of life took to the stage of the Théâtre de Périgueux. From classical, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and ballroom dance cultures, they came from all over France to participate in the event. There was only one condition to participate: to present a choreography danced by dancers with disabilities, with or without integration of dancers without disabilities. If it’s a ” real fake competition According to Anne-Marie Vialard, president of the Regional Committee for Inclusive Dance, it was definitely a matter of surpassing yourself. The challenge ? Explore another area of artistic creation, create a movement around disability.
From the front stage to the edge of the stage
According to the newspaper South West, the show lasted all day. For the modest amount of 5 euros (the performance was free for children under the age of twelve), everyone could attend this dance day. For the French Dance Federation, the challenge was also to meet the audience and create a dialogue around disability: at the end of each series, discussions were planned on the edge of the stage between the performers and the room.
As the great choreographer Pina Bausch told us, who made people dance in all their diversity: “Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost!” †