THE DAY OF THE BEAST
2017
THE DAY OF THE BEAST, group portrait, is a project that was born from the observation that I have experienced over the years of the practice of castells (human towers), a cultural event that takes place in several cities in the Mediterranean.
These human towers are architectures and constructions with several floors created by a multitude of people. This spectacular festival and practice is the representation of a living monument that could answer the question of self-representation and self-celebration of communities. Starting from these questions, I wanted through this piece for 5 dancers, to explore the idea of party ritual as a place of a living organism, and to draw a choreographic material around the various rituals that communities invent to gather, to celebrate themselves.
What gestures, physical energies and collective acts do we create to find common spaces? To invent rituals of celebration?
Spatial configurations and movements inspired by popular festivals such as certain Mediterranean celebrations, but also carnivals and other contemporary collective events, rhythm and breath are the driving forces of this ephemeral community that is built around different polyphonies and polyrhythms carried by the voice and the body.
THE DAY OF THE BEAST stages the organic elaboration “on sight” of a group, its emergence and its advent, and questions the notion of festive ritual, as a place of gathering, of energy sharing, of empathy but also as a space of purgation.
CONCEPTION: Aina Alegre
INTERPRETATION: Teresa Acevedo, Aina Alegre, Aniol Busquets, Charlie Fouchier, Cosima Grand
SOUND CREATION: Romain Mercier
LIGHT CREATION: Pascal Chassan
COSTUMES: in collaboration with Astrid Cadoz
SETTING: in collaboration with Pascal Chassan
COSTUMES MAKING: Aurélie Noblé
ARTISTIC CONSULTANT: Quim Bigas, Isabelle Catalan, Chiara Gallerani
GENERAL MANAGEMENT: Guillaume Olmeta
LIGHTING MANAGEMENT: Marinette Buchy
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION: Ryan Kernoa & Claire Nollez
Opening photo credits: Patrick Berger
Gallery photo credits (in order of appearance): Patrick Berger, Laurent Pailler
PRODUCTION : STUDIO FICTIF
CO-PRODUCERS : Atelier de Paris CDCN ; La Place de la Danse CDCN Toulouse / Occitanie ; L’échangeur CDCN Hauts- de-France ; Format Danse-Ardèche ; Centre, Chorégraphique National de Caen en Normandie dans le cadre de l’accueil- studio-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication ; Théâtre de Vanves scène conventionnée d’intérêt national art et création pour la danse et les écritures contemporaines à travers les arts
SUPPORT: Vivat d’Armentières-scène conventionnée danse et théâtre; d’Arcadi-Île-de-France; de la DRAC Île-de-France au titre de l’aide au projet chorégraphique. This show was supported from September 2018 to August 2021 by the Charter of assistance to the diffusion signed by Onda, Arcadi Île-de-France, Culture O Centre, OARA, ODIA Normandie, Réseau en scène – Languedoc-Roussillon and Spectacle Vivant en Bretagne






