Choreographed by Boris Charmatz, LEVÉE DES CONFLITS has been performed to international acclaim since its creation in 2010, including a notable performance at the Tate Modern in London (2013). The title (suspension of conflicts, in English) alludes to the humanity of the piece. Twenty-four dancers enter the stage one-by-one and begin to perform a series of movements at their different starting points. The audience sits around the dance floor creating a voyeuristic circle around the dancers as they form different structures and come in and out of synch with each other. The movements vary from ones we may perform regularly to ones that are more choreographed. The juxtaposition of such forms is intriguing, mesmerizing, and thought-provoking.
At the core of this beautiful and impactful contemporary dance work is a sense of peacefulness that comes from balance and moderation. Between chaos and synchronicity, individualism and collectiveness, exists the human search for life without conflict. During this evening-length performance, LEVÉE DES CONFLITS demonstrates the beauty in the ebbs and flows of human life.
[The Drexel University Armory, 33rd Street and Lancaster Avenue] September 9-10, 2016; fringearts.com/event/levee-des-conflits.
LEVÉE DES CONFLITS comes to the Philadelphia Fringe Festival as a co-presentation with Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, funded by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.