Quai d’Angers

Centre National de Danse Contemporaine (CNDC) was established in 1978 by the cultural affairs department of the city of Angers. CNDC was the successor to B.T.C. Ballet Théâtre Contemporain, whose directors were Françoise Adret and Jacques-Albert Cartier and which had relocated to Nancy. From 1978 to 2004, CNDC was headed successively by Alwin Nikolais, Viola Farber, Michel Reilhac, Nadia Croquet, Joëlle Bouvier and Régis Obadia, all of whom helped develop CNDC into an École Supérieure du Centre National de Danse Contemporaine ("University of Contemporary Dance") with an artist in residence program and a national choreography center.

Headed since February 2004 by the choregrapher Emmanuelle Huynh, CNDC allows for the creation and performance of contemporary works, hosts artists in residence, and serves as a center for the study of dance from both a practical and theoretical standpoint. In its capacity as an Ecole Supérieure (University) entirely devoted to contemporary dance and choreography, CNDC offers two training programs.

Complete information on CNDC’s activities can be found in the quarterly publication CNDCjournal, and online at www.cndc.fr
Phone: 02 44 01 22 66
contact@cndc.fr
http://www.cndc.fr/

During this 31st season at CNDC, we will continue exploring the meaning of the organization’s heritage and its present role via eclectic dance programming that represents a broad spectrum of artistic approaches. Our 2009-2010 dance season, which will be presented at Le Quai and is in effect an extension of last year’s 30th anniversary offerings, will present the work of choreographers from a range of cultures and generations. Several of these individuals have worked with CNDC in the past.

The season will open with a piece by CNDC’s first director, Alwin Nikolais, who will be presenting his The Crystal and the Sphere, which is suitable for audiences aged 6 and older.
The following new pieces will be created over the course of the current season: Brazilian choreographer Lia Rodrigues will be doing a choreography residency with us; the Congolese director and choreographer Faustin Linyekula will be creating a piece as part of his co-residency with NTA; and Emmanuelle Huynh will be creating two works: one a duo with an ikebana master, Shinbaï, le vol de l’âme; and the second a group piece that was created last June at Festival Montpellier Danse, Cribles, légende chorégraphique pour 1000 danseurs.
In keeping with CNDC’s abiding interest in contemporary classics, we will also be presenting restagings of the following seminal works: Parades and changes, Anne Collod’s restaging of the eponymous 1965 work by American choreographer Anna Halprin; Zoopsie Comedi, a musical revue by Dominique Rebaud and Dominique Boivin from the 1980s; and a program of Dominque Bagouet’s works, presented by the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève. Also on tap this season are the following: the Brazilian hip-hop star Bruno Beltrão; choreographer Alain Buffard; two dance performances staged by German choreographer Raimund Hoghe; and a new edition of the Vidéodanse festival.
Our dance season is being presented in cooperation with EPCC-Le Quai.

- The creation of new dance works
- Sponsoring residencies
- Educational and informational programs
- Dance programming
- Professional training programs

Creation of new dance works
Pieces by CNDC artistic director Emmanuelle Huynh are rehearsed and created at CNDC, but the center is also the birthplace of numerous other shows for which it acts as executive producer. These include performances made by and for CNDC students, or commissions from outside artists. The following works will be presented during the current season: The new dance created in 2009 by Brazilian choreographer Lia Rodrigues; Shinbaï, le vol de l’âme, a duo by the dancer Emmanuelle Huyn and the ikebana master Seiho Okudaira; Cribles, légende chorégraphique pour 1000 danseurs by Emmanuelle Huynh; and Pour en finir avec Bérénice by Congolese choreographer Faustin Linyekula, as part of her co-residency at CNDC and NTA.

Residencies
CNDC, with its studios (and attendant apartments) in three separate locations invites dance companies to spend time creating pieces at the Center. In many cases, some projects are completed during these residencies, while others are brought closer to fruition. In all cases, the resident companies have the opportunity to present works in progress to the public via an excerpt from a performance, a film showing, or a roundtable discussion. 20 dance companies will present their work at CNDC during the current season.


Educational and informational programs
CNDC engages in numerous cultural activities with and for elementary schools, secondary schools, universities, and other institutions such as prisons and social service organizations. These projects are developed by implementing proposals for teachers or teacher trainees in conjunction with performances, conferences, roundtable discussions, and dance workshops aimed at elementary, secondary, and college students or specific target groups among the general public. More than 40 artists give dance workshops at CNDC each year and more than 2000 tickets are given away to elementary and secondary school students, or to youths who are associated with various socio-cultural institutions.
If you are interested in realizing a project, contact CNDC’s Service éducatif et des publics department at 02 44 01 22 66


Programming
Ever since taking up residence at Théâtre Le Quai, CNDC has been in charge of dance programming for Le Quai’s various performance spaces. The programs offered by CNDC’s partner institutions Centre Dramatique National Pays/Nouveau Théâtre d’Angers and EPCC-Le Quai round out CNDC’s programs with plays, circus performances, musical performances and so on.
CNDC also does programming for events such as the following: two biennials; the Vidéodanse festival in partnership with Centre Pompidou; and Schools, an international dance school festival.

> Two year choreography training program
Founded in 1978, the choreography training program at École Supérieure du Centre National de Danse Contemporaine ("University of Contemporary Dance") is open to French and international candidates. It aims to help young dancers become full fledged professionals while still maintaining a healthy critical distance from their own work so that they can commit themselves to a specific orientation within their chosen field. The main focus of the program is on the development of tools for these young artists. Students’ creative endeavors are nurtured and supported by wide ranging experiences, thanks to the presence of French and international artists and specialized lecturers representing a broad spectrum of artistic expertise and creativity. During the program, students perform their work before live audiences. This year’s entering class (which will graduate in 2011) will be working on Nijinski’s Rite of Spring and Dominique Bagouet’s Meublé sommairement.

> One year Essais training program
Essais is an exploratory training program that experiments with various points of view in connection with current developments in the field of contemporary dance. The program is also a space where intensive work is carried out based on contemporary choreographic concepts, and in a fashion that is open to concepts from film, fine art, literature and related disciplines. The program aims to promote the artist’s capacity to find her own way within the definition of the content of a specific project, to find her place in the contemporary artistic landscape, and to take the risk of become a full fledged auteur of her own work. The program’s more than 1000 hours of training allow students to carry out a year of study and exploration involving collaborations with other artists as well as work realized completely on their own. This third group of Essais students consists of nine dancers aged 25-32 from seven countries. The final Ecole Ouverte event for this group will be held at the end of the program, on 14 and 15 December 2009 at Théâtre Le Quai.