Chaillot is a hospitable venue, home to all kinds of dance, audiences, as well as creative and human endeavors. Since he took over Chaillot, théâtre national de la Danse on April 6, 2021, choreographer Rachid Ouramdane has made the iconic building on the Place du Trocadéro facing the Eiffel tower a place of fruitful dialogue and sharing. His own artistic path suggests a consistent inclination for multifarious “people-driven” projects. Drawn to dance through hip hop and later trained at the CNDC in Angers, initially a performer, he has built up a multidisciplinary body of work that draws upon real-life events, explores nonconventional bodies (TORDRE, 2014) and sporting challenges (Corps extrêmes, 2021), fearlessly confronts the memory of war and exile (Loin, 2008), and the fate of young migrants (Franchir la nuit, 2018). He also headed the Centre chorégraphique national de Grenoble (CCN2) from 2016 to 2021.
Far from preventing dialogue, the stately 26,000 square meter Art Deco architecture listed as a historic monument turns into an exciting interactive stage. The theaters, the vast lobby, the monumental staircase and the circulation spaces decked out in 30s frescoes become home to various offerings, including performance acts, conferences, discussions, shows, workshops, exhibitions, concerts, masterclasses, digital or immersive installations, DJ sets, as well as homely brunches. This is an opportunity to experience first-hand the opening up of art forms, mediums and aesthetics built into the “Chaillot spirit.”
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