Думи мої – Dumy Moyi

Having studied both dance and history, from the outset François Chaignaud has presented scenic objects of great freedom, ranging from libertine cabaret to the contemporary trances of today’s urban dances by way of the hula hoop. In 2010, he watched a theyyam ceremony, consisting of sacred music and dance, in Malabar, India. This memory has inspired his creation of a solo constructed in a world connected to a genealogy of modern dance that, from the start of the 20th century, is interested in the representation of exoticism. In Думи мої – Dumy Moyi, adorned with a huge headdress and accompanied by an albino snake, he moves very close to the audience in a sort of miniature variety performance that links singing to dance, religious dance to music hall, performance to ritual. During a condensed 35 minutes, the solo is performed several times a day for a small audience who can choose their time, thus reconnecting with the tradition of American vaudeville.