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| Les Arts Sauts | |
|---|---|
| Name | Les Arts Sauts |
| Formation | 1987 |
| Type | Performing arts company |
| Location | Lyon, France |
| Founders | Claude Moreau; Isabelle Durand |
| Genres | Contemporary dance; Experimental theatre; Interdisciplinary performance |
Les Arts Sauts is a contemporary performing arts company based in Lyon, France, founded in the late 20th century by choreographer Claude Moreau and dramaturg Isabelle Durand. The company developed a reputation for interdisciplinary productions that intersect Ballet National de Marseille-style choreography, Théâtre National de Chaillot dramaturgy, and experimental scenography akin to work at Festival d'Avignon and Biennale de Lyon. Over decades Les Arts Sauts collaborated with figures and institutions from across Europe, including ensembles associated with Opéra National de Paris, Royal Opera House, and Volksbühne.
Les Arts Sauts emerged in 1987 amid the postmodern choreographic shifts influenced by Pina Bausch and Merce Cunningham, while engaging with French institutions such as Ministère de la Culture (France) initiatives and regional networks like Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Early seasons featured residencies at Centre National de Danse Contemporaine and co-productions with Maison de la Danse (Lyon), drawing collaborators from Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques circuits and guest artists from Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon. Tours brought Les Arts Sauts to festivals including Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Tête de Pont Festival, and exchanges with companies tied to Comédie-Française and Théâtre du Châtelet. The company weathered funding shifts following policy changes inspired by debates around the Lang Law and responded to audience trends shaped by programming at Théâtre National de Strasbourg and Centre Pompidou.
Les Arts Sauts articulates a mission to fuse choreographic inquiry with theatrical narrative and visual arts practice, aligning aesthetic concerns reminiscent of Robert Wilson, Marina Abramović, and William Forsythe. Annual programming frequently includes collaborations with composers associated with IRCAM, scenographers trained at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and dramaturgs who have worked at Théâtre de la Ville. The company curates seasons that dialogue with curators from Musée d'Orsay, directors from La Scala, and artistic advisors who have served at Festival d'Automne à Paris and Salzburg Festival. Its repertoire spans site-specific work in venues such as Palais de Tokyo, immersive pieces in spaces formerly used by Gare Saint-Sauveur (Lille), and experimental lab projects developed with researchers from CNRS and practitioners from Collège de France.
Significant productions include a 1995 reinterpretation of movement vocabulary in conversation with techniques from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater alumni, a 2003 multimedia cycle co-created with artists from Tate Modern programs, and a 2012 large-scale staging that involved exchange with Deutsche Oper Berlin ensembles. Collaborations extended to musicians affiliated with Philharmonie de Paris, film directors who have shown at Cannes Film Festival, and visual artists represented by Centre Pompidou-Metz. The company has worked with guest choreographers from Sadler's Wells Theatre, dramaturgs who previously served at Royal Court Theatre, and lighting designers with credits at Metropolitan Opera. International co-productions included partnerships with Teatro Real, Teatro alla Scala, Théâtre du Capitole, and residency swaps with Hebbel am Ufer and Staatstheater Stuttgart.
Les Arts Sauts runs education initiatives in collaboration with conservatories such as Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon and Conservatoire de Paris, offering masterclasses led by alumni of École de danse de l'Opéra de Paris and visiting artists from Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. Community programs partner with municipal cultural services from Ville de Lyon, social projects funded through Agence Nationale pour la Cohésion Sociale et l'Égalité des Chances (ACSÉ), and youth orchestras associated with Orchestre National de Lyon. The company’s workshops have been hosted in settings ranging from Maison des Métallos outreach centers to collaborative labs at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, addressing participation models influenced by practices at Young Vic and La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.
Les Arts Sauts is governed by an artistic director and a board composed of representatives from regional cultural bodies like Région Île-de-France and national funding agencies including Centre National du Livre stakeholders. Administrative partnerships have included agreements with production houses linked to Agence Française pour le Jeu Vidéo-adjacent media producers and legal counsel versed in statutes derived from French cultural frameworks such as provisions administered by Conseil d'État-advising departments. The company’s staffing model mirrors institutional arrangements seen at Opéra-Comique and Théâtre National de Bretagne, balancing permanent ensembles with project-based hires contracted under collective agreements negotiated with unions analogous to Syndicat National des Artistes Musiciens.
Funding sources have included grants from Ministère de la Culture (France), regional subsidies from Métropole de Lyon, project funding via European Cultural Foundation mechanisms, and co-production support from broadcasters like France Télévisions and Arte. Les Arts Sauts received recognition in the form of awards and nominations alongside institutions such as Laurence Olivier Awards-shortlisted companies, prizes conferred at Festival d'Avignon, and distinctions from bodies similar to Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Philanthropic support came from patrons connected to foundations like Fondation de France and cultural trusts patterned after Fondation BNP Paribas.
Category:Performing arts companies in France Category:Culture in Lyon