Collectif XY's 'Le Pas du Monde' Brings Acrobatic Ritual to Avignon's Cour d'Honneur
On July 22–25, 2026, the Collectif XY presented 'Le Pas du Monde' in the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes during the Festival d'Avignon. The performance, described as a 'new mass for the present time,' used acrobatic portés, human pyramids, and choral voices without smoke machines or close-up cameras. The audience experienced a 'gravitational contagion,' reacting viscerally to missed lifts. The lighting created shadow plays on the side walls, evoking the frescoes of the Palais. The critic invoked the spirit of Maurice Béjart rather than Jean Vilar, emphasizing the emotional body. The show featured chains of gestures, runs like flocks of birds, and a lone man looking at his hand before becoming a base for others. The Collectif XY, known for circus arts, justified their place in the prestigious Cour d'Honneur by offering a sensitive and lucid reflection on human fragility.
Key facts
- Collectif XY performed 'Le Pas du Monde' at Festival d'Avignon 2026.
- The show ran from July 22 to 25, 2026, at 22h in the Cour d'Honneur.
- The performance began 15 minutes late, with the audience growing impatient.
- A woman entered first in pale light, followed by four others, then the rest of the group.
- Artists used microphones and formed a chain by holding hands, shoulders, and waists.
- Acrobatic portés included up to three people stacked, forming human pyramids.
- The audience remained stoic and concentrated, not like at a circus.
- The lighting was modest, creating shadow plays on the side walls.
- A missed lift caused a neighbor to jump and another to sigh in fear.
- The critic referenced dance researcher Hubert Godard's concept of 'gravitational contagion.'
- The performance was compared to Jérôme Bosch's 'Garden of Earthly Delights.'
- The spirit of Maurice Béjart was invoked, not Jean Vilar.
Entities
Artists
- Collectif XY
- Julien Gosselin
- Julie Deliquet
- Hubert Godard
- Jérôme Bosch
- Maurice Béjart
- Jean Vilar
Institutions
- Festival d'Avignon
- Palais des Papes
- Cour d'Honneur
Locations
- Avignon
- France
- Palais des Papes
- Cour d'Honneur