Les Ballets C de la B

Les Ballets C de la B
Name	Les Ballets C de la B
Founded	1984
Founder	Alain Platel
Location	Ghent, Belgium
Genre	Contemporary dance

Les Ballets C de la B is a contemporary dance company based in Ghent, Belgium, known for experimental choreography and sociopolitical engagement. The company emerged during postwar European cultural renewal alongside institutions such as Théâtre National de Belgique, Festival d'Avignon, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Berliner Festspiele and Venice Biennale. Its work intersected with artists and organizations including Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Sasha Waltz, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Rosas.

History

The company was founded in 1984 in Ghent amid the 1980s European arts scene influenced by European Capital of Culture, Flemish Community cultural policy, and networks such as ITI and European Cultural Foundation. Early seasons connected with venues like KVS, Monty, Kaaitheater, La Monnaie and festivals including Holland Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Avignon Festival. During the 1990s the ensemble toured across North America, South America, Asia and Africa appearing at platforms such as Lincoln Center, Teatro Colón, Sydney Opera House and Festival Internacional Cervantino. Institutional shifts involved partnerships with Flemish Government, City of Ghent, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and European funding via Creative Europe.

Artistic Direction and Key Figures

Founding artistic leadership centered on choreographer Alain Platel together with collaborators drawn from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. Key figures included choreographers, composers and performers who worked alongside Platel such as Jan Fabre, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Benoît Lachambre, Sofie Dossi and Anima Eterna Brugge affiliates. Musical collaborators spanned ensembles and composers like Olivier Messiaen, Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, John Cage and groups such as Maximalist! and VIII Collective. Administrators and producers came from networks including Kunstenpunt, ICARE, Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques and independent producers associated with European Festivals Association.

Repertoire and Notable Works

The repertoire blends pieces premiered at venues such as Komische Oper Berlin, Théâtre de la Ville, Piccolo Teatro di Milano and La Scala. Notable works include early productions that toured to Festival d'Automne à Paris, large-scale creations staged at BunkamuraNew York Public Theater and interdisciplinary pieces showcased at TATE Modern and Centre Pompidou. Signature performances incorporated texts and themes referencing Samuel Beckett, James Baldwin, Frantz Fanon, Georges Bataille and Hannah Arendt. Premieres engaged dramaturgs and librettists linked to Royal Shakespeare Company, Comédie-Française and De Munt.

Style and Choreographic Approach

The company's aesthetic reflects influences from postmodern dance, physical theatre, Butoh and practices associated with Expressionism, Realism and Dada. Choreographic methods involve improvisation techniques developed in dialogue with practitioners from Contact Improvisation, codified approaches associated with Rudolf Laban and reinterpretations of phrases from Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan and Kurt Jooss. Movement vocabulary often integrates non-professional performers and community participants from projects linked to Médecins Sans Frontières, Amnesty International and local social initiatives in Flanders.

Collaborations and International Touring

Collaborations extended to visual artists, composers and filmmakers such as Bill Viola, Anish Kapoor, Alexei Ratmansky, Peter Greenaway and orchestras including Orchestre National de France and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Touring circuits included engagements at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Staatsoper, Museo Reina Sofía, Teatro Real and festivals like Festival Internacional de Teatro and Festival Présences. Co-productions involved institutions such as Het Toneelhuis, CND, Maison de la Culture and broadcasters like Arte and BBC Arts.

Awards and Recognition

The company and its creators received honors from bodies including Prix de la Critique, Laurence Olivier Awards, Bessie Awards, Golden Mask and recognition at Europäischer Kulturpreis. Grants and residencies came from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences-adjacent foundations, Prinsengrachtconcert patrons and cultural funds like Fondation Royaumont and Kunststiftung NRW. Critical acclaim appeared in publications such as The Guardian, Le Monde, Die Zeit, The New York Times and De Standaard.

Category:Contemporary dance companies Category:Dance companies of Belgium Category:Ghent culture