MICHEL KELEMENIS

Once upon a time, the marvellous discovery of Johann Sebastian Bach’s immense Magnificat was a core moment in the young Michel Kelemenis’ upbringing. During the greyness of lockdowns, where his only happy moments were those spent in the company of dancers, the memory of this “breath of intense joy” came back to him. Then, the desire to superimpose these two moments of happiness was born, choreographing the German composer’s score for nine performers. MAGNIFIQUES is an ode to youth and an invitation to life. It is also a call to throw open our windows and welcome in another tomorrow.  The attitudes and aesthetic transformations of a generation determined to free itself from all expectations, whether gender, identity or social, respond to the baroque audacity of a score enriched by the electro compositions of Angelos Liaros Copola, a figure of the Berlin scene. Alternating between solos and ensembles, the dancers become the artisans of an exhilarating collective mosaic. Their movements, like the notes, have all the grace of blossoming, as well as that of invention and self-reinvention. They open up the space, then fade away as soon as they are drawn, in an ephemeral eternity.

Michel Kelemenis

As a dancer, most notably at the Montpellier CCN with Dominique Bagouet, he founded his company Kelemenis&cie in 1987 and is, to date, the author of around 60 choreographies, between abstraction and figuration, often related to current themes. Based in Marseille, Michel Kelemenis has been directing the KLAP Maison pour la Danse since 2011. This creative space, driven by his initiative, works to support authors and companies, offer up an educational and artistic sharing, and foster cooperation and choreographic culture.