september 29, 2007
The Opera de Lille gave Christian Rizzo carte blanche for the Happy Day opening of the 2007-2008 season.
Entitled Opera(tion)-remix, it ushers in Rizzo's presence as the artist in residence here from 2007 to 2010.
"The arrival of Christian Rizzo marks a new beginning in the Opera de Lille's artistic projects. Dance has played a major role since the opera reopened in December 2003, with programming each season that features the main aesthetic trends of the times and figures from the history of contemporary dance.
In addition to these large international companies, the Opera is also supporting new work by the kind of artists whose unusual approach leaves them on the fringes of the main performance networks.
While we are pursuing our initial focus, Rizzo's arrival has added a new dynamic to this development, in particular a desire to establish closer ties between audiences and the choreographer's artistic approach.
Christian Rizzo's work is strikingly unusual. His pieces have exceptional visual power, offering an original point of view with regard to current choreography and contributing to his international reputation.
With his keen sense of entertainment, this inventive choreographer is perfect for a long-term association with the Opera de Lille, where new works for the stage will be the highpoint of the residency. His many other visual, choreographic and musical projects will also be presented on a regular basis in the building's splendid public areas, in particular at the Happy Day season opener."
Caroline Sonrier, director of the Opera de Lille
SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER - 12pm-6:30pm
2pm and 6pm - Excerpts from Fantomes et Vanites (main theatre)
Edited by the Cinematheque de la Danse
A fragmented self-portrait of Christian Rizzo through a series of films.
This kaleidoscope of punk clips, scenes from fantasy films, moments of dancing, portraits of performers at work, experimental films and fashion-related performances also includes previously unseen videos by Christian Rizzo.
3 pm and 5 pm: Trio (main theatre)
Three spaces in the orchestra section of the main theatre delimit the territory assigned to each of the protagonists. The audience, up in the balcony section, is invited to look down over this all-new experience.
Lighting: Caty Olive - Dance: Wouter Krokaert - Music: Didier Ambact
4 pm: Via Katlehong Dance (main theatre)
Christian Rizzo will present a preview extract from his new piece for Via Katlehong Dance Company, whose 9 dancers from Katlehong township in South Africa blend Pantsula and neo-traditional dances such as Steps and Gumboots - traditionally performed by miners wearing rubber boots.
3:30pm / 4:30pm / 6pm: Bodies in urban Spaces - Installation event by Willi Dorner Bodies in urban Spaces is a moving installation for a group of 12 people and performer Satu Herrala, brought together by the Opera de Lille in a workshop with Willi Dorner.
Non-stop
La repetition - A multimedia event by Veaceslaw Druta (Dance Room)
La repetition is a video performance in which Vaeceslav Druta delves into certain visual arts issues. The characters are shown on a large screen in human dimensions, i.e. on the same scale as the audience and the artist himself, who plays a make-believe instrument and all the characters in an orchestra. He attempts to create a link, or ėėmirror space'', between the real and virtual audience, a connection between true and false, real and virtual, in a space that is actually inside Veaceslav Druta's mind.
In collaboration with Le Fresnoy, Studio National des Arts Contemporains, Tourcoing.
29 SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER 2-6 - 8pm
REMIX-2 SOLOS
b.c, janvier 1545, fontainebleau (foyer)
In this piece Christian Rizzo creates a special world that is tailor-made for performer Julie Guibert, whom he met while creating Ni fleurs, ni ford mustang for the Ballet de l'Opera national de Lyon in 2004. Fascinated by her ėėincredible stage sense'' and inspired by her personality, Christian Rizzo wanted to prolong their collaboration through this solo - a nocturnal dance sculpted by the light and projected into space in order to ėėdevelop the idea of slow-motion and work on the calligraphic aspect of the process''.
Rizzo changed the scenic design for the Opera de Lille, refocusing on the choreography. The dance space, delineated by a sandbox, responds to music performed live.
Dancer: Julie Guibert. Lighting: Caty Olive. Music: Gerome Nox
comme crane, comme culte (main staircase)
Christian Rizzo has created a dreamlike character who leaves the world of the living and turns into an icon - a biker who is the victim of an accident. Seen from behind, Circassian Jean-Baptiste Andre's swaying body seems capable of coming and going from vertical to horizontal with almost no support. How does that work when you're dealing with a long staircase?
With dancer Jean-Baptiste Andre
SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER - 13 OCTOBER
100% Polyester objet dansant n°. (Rotunda)
Installation by Caty Olive and Christian Rizzo
Two Siamese dresses sewed together at the wrists are hung above a path lined with fans.
Against a background of electronic music the ethereal dresses twirl in the air propelled by the small floor fans.