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| Boris Charmatz | |
|---|---|
| Name | Boris Charmatz |
| Birth date | 1973 |
| Birth place | Rennes, France |
| Occupation | Dancer, choreographer, director |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
Boris Charmatz is a French dancer, choreographer, curator, and educator known for experimental choreography that often interrogates exhibition, museum contexts, and institutional frameworks. He has worked internationally with dance companies, museums, festivals, theaters, and universities, producing site-specific, durational, and participatory pieces that engage with visual art, contemporary music, and performance theory. His practice has linked contemporary dance to sculpture, conceptual art, and museum studies, attracting attention from institutions across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Born in Rennes, Brittany, Charmatz trained in classical and contemporary forms, studying with regional schools and conservatories that shaped his early technique. He attended training influenced by figures associated with French contemporary dance and met practitioners connected to Présence Chorégraphique, Centre National de la Danse, and teachers from institutions like École nationale supérieure de danse de Marseille. Early exposure included workshops and residencies with artists linked to Trisha Brown, Merce Cunningham, and French choreographers associated with Maurice Béjart and Angelin Preljocaj.
Charmatz began performing in the 1990s, joining ensembles and touring with companies rooted in European contemporary dance networks, including collaborations with companies connected to Maguy Marin, William Forsythe, and Pina Bausch-related performers. He founded his own company, developing a reputation within festivals such as Festival d'Avignon, Biennale de Lyon, and venues including Théâtre de la Ville and Palais de Tokyo. His career intersects with museum exhibitions at institutions like Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and international platforms such as Documenta and the Venice Biennale.
Charmatz's choreography often merges everyday movement with rigorously structured ensemble forms, referencing sculptural and conceptual art practices from artists exhibited at institutions like Musée du Louvre and Tate Modern. Works foreground time, duration, and spatial politics, echoing concerns explored by choreographers such as Steve Paxton, Yvonne Rainer, and John Cage's score-driven approaches. He has created pieces that transform galleries into stages, incorporating archival strategies used in exhibitions at Musée national d'art moderne and curatorial practices seen at Serpentine Galleries. His aesthetic aligns with experimental composers and sound artists presented at IRCAM and festivals like Miller Theatre.
Charmatz has collaborated with a wide range of performers, visual artists, composers, and directors, engaging with figures linked to Sophie Calle, Christian Marclay, Laurie Anderson, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. He has worked with orchestras and ensembles connected to Ensemble InterContemporain and contemporary music institutions such as Radio France and BBC Proms. Dance collaborations include partnerships with artists from companies related to Cie Accrorap, Compagnie Käfig, and guest projects at theaters like Théâtre National de Chaillot and Grande Halle de la Villette. International residencies led to exchanges with institutions like Tanzhaus Zürich, Münchenballett, and the Juilliard School.
Charmatz served as director of influential organizations, notably leading a national choreographic center associated with networks like Centre Chorégraphique National and later directing a prominent national institution tied to Musée de la Danse initiatives. His administrative roles connected him to governmental cultural structures including the Ministry of Culture (France), regional arts councils, and European cultural programs such as Creative Europe. He curated programs and seasons for festivals like Nantes Danse and organized exhibitions in collaboration with museums including Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes and international partners like Stedelijk Museum.
Charmatz has taught and lectured at conservatories and universities associated with Conservatoire de Paris, Université Paris VIII, and international schools such as London Contemporary Dance School and the New School. His research engages archival methodologies and performance studies linked to scholars from MIT and Goldsmiths, University of London; he has contributed essays and editorials to catalogs for institutions like Centre Pompidou and journals connected to Dance Research Journal and Performance Research. Publications and curated readers contextualize his work alongside discourses present in symposia at Columbia University and conferences organized by International Association of Dance Medicine & Science.
Charmatz's contributions have been acknowledged with national and international honors linked to organizations such as the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, prizes from cultural bodies like Fondation d'entreprise Ricard, and distinctions presented by festivals including Festival d'Automne à Paris. He has received fellowships and commissions from institutions like Cité internationale des Arts, awards tied to European cultural foundations such as Pro Helvetia and grants administered through European Cultural Foundation. Major retrospectives and invited projects at venues including Centre Pompidou, Sommerfestspiele-associated theaters, and the National Gallery of Canada have affirmed his standing in contemporary performance.
Category:French choreographers Category:Contemporary dancers