DOMINIQUE BOIVIN Artistic director, choregrapher

He started out at just 6 years of age by several years of acrobatic dance; then from the age of ten to eighteen years he followed on with classical dance. He started contemporary dance with Carolyn CARLSON and pursued it with Alwin NIKOLAÏS at the C.N.D.C (National Centre of Contemporary Dance) of Angers. In 1978, his first solo work ‘Vol d’Oiseau’ won the ‘Prix de l’Humour’ at the ‘Concours de Bagnolet’. In 1980 he obtained a two year scholarship for a training course in New York, where he followed courses by Merce Cunningham and Douglas DUNN.

His time in Angers also permitted him to encounter several dancers with whom he created Beau Geste in 1981. At the time he alternated between work as a performer in different companies (P.DECOUFFLE, D.LARRIEU, GRAND MAGASIN…) and work as a choreographer and director (Carmen, 1992 – La Belle Etoile, Cabaret Pataphysique, 1993 – Petites histories au-dessus du ciel, 1996). His solo, La danse, une histoire à ma façon… (1994, revived in 2000) exposes with verve a culture of the subtle gest which underhandedly structures his choreographies.

In 1997 he choreographed Orphée aux Enfers in Geneva and Les Amours de Bastien et Bastienne (2002, Rouen, Paris), as well as Casse Noisette for the Ballet of the Opéra National of Lyon in 2001, followed by two creations for Beau Geste: Conte sur Moi (2000) and Miniatures de l’Emoi (2003). At the same time, he directed several ‘fringe’ event shows (Welcomédie, Post Cards for the American Dance Festival, Yaplu d’saison). He created the duo Le Lion et Le Rat within the framework of ‘Fables à la Fontaine’, then Bonté Divine in 2003 (duo in collaboration with Pascale HOUBIN), and the piece Miniatures de l’émoi.

His last creations take on very diversified worlds with Aqua ça Rrime ? - a show in a swimming pool; Transports exceptionnels - a duo for a mechanical digger and a dancer; A quoi tu penses ? - a piece choreographed on the monologues of the writer Marie NIMIER; and Ni d’Eve, ni d’Adam – a second duo with Pascale Houbin. In 2009 he created the solo Don Quichotte at the National Dance Centre of Pantin, and with the choreographer Dominique Rebaud he revived the Revue Zoopsie Comedi (1981), of which the original costumes by Christian Lacroix, are reinterpreted by the same man for this new version.

He collaborated with the musician Joëlle Léandre for Oaxaca, a tribute to John Cage. He signs Off line parts (2010) in the framework of the European project Korespondance initiated by Marie KINSKY, Travelling (2011) Solo Body report / Images and choreography Cat Perched, Country Opera (Opera Bastille 2011) directed by Caroline GAUTIER. In November 2011, he created En Piste in collaboration with Pascale HOUBIN and Daniel Larrieu around the songs gestures. After the success of Transports Exceptionnels, he creates L.U.MEN, night time show for three dancers and a hydraulic man lift with the musician Emilien Leroy (creation in September 2014).

In 2014, he works with Pierre Nadaud on a piece choreographed in situ, Dancing Bikes for the KoresponDance's festival in Zdar nad Sazavou (Czechoslovakia).
Always open to new artistic encounters, he creates Connais-Moi Toi-Même with the singer Claire Diterzi during the 69th Avignon's Festival as part of Sujets à Vifs, SACD – Festival d’Avignon.
That same year, he gets the co-lead of the Theatre de L'Arsenal,a multidisciplinary stage in Val-de-Reuil.

KoresponDance's Festival in Zdar nad Sazavou invites him again to create in situ en 2016 Farewell with Emilien Leroy.
In september 2016, he signs the choreography of Macbeth, opera directed by Olivier Fredj at La Monnaie / De Munt in Brussels, and in octobrer 2016, he creates ex(S.T.A.T.I.K), for the students of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris with music by Erik Satie.

In september 2017, he's invited by the director Frédéric Roels to create the choregraphy of Norma, at the Opéra de Rouen-Normandie and at the Royal Opera House Muscat in february 2018.

In may 2018, he co-signs a tribute Nikolaïs at Chaillot with Philippe Decouflé
In december 2017, he presents the first 30 minutes of his solo « Road Movie ». This solo is the first part of a work that will be developped over several years.
In january 2019, he presents the second sequence of this solo at the CNDC of Angers.