Les Gens d'Uterpan: Deconstructing Dance and Performance Norms
Established in 1994 by Annie Vigier and Franck Apertet, the choreographic duo Les Gens d'Uterpan challenges traditional dance and performance norms. Their early creations involved subverting gender roles and altering stage layouts. In the 2002 piece 'Cave canem,' they focused on the elements of spectacle, generating tension among the audience. Since 2005, they have been working on the X-Event series, beginning with X-Event 1, which highlighted the interaction between dancers and viewers. X-Event 2 commenced in February 2005 at CAC Brétigny, showcasing generic movements by performers. Their later projects, 'Topologie' and 'Parterre,' utilize public areas. Additionally, 'You Are a Dancer' is a radio work from the Baltic Art Center. They strive to create spaces for public confrontation, with an upcoming monograph edited by Pierre Bal-Blanc.
Key facts
- Les Gens d'Uterpan founded in 1994 by Annie Vigier (1965) and Franck Apertet (1966).
- Early work included a duo where Annie played a man and Franck a woman.
- Piece 'Cave canem' (2002) at Théâtre Jean Vilar, Champigny-sur-Marne, isolated each element of a spectacle.
- X-Event cycle began in 2005 with X-Event 1, a cross-shaped stage.
- First X-Event 2 protocol developed in February 2005 at CAC Brétigny, invited by Pierre Bal-Blanc.
- X-Event 2 series presented at 2007 Biennale d'art contemporain de Lyon by five dancers over four months.
- 'Topologie' expands the stage to an entire territory, making inhabitants part of the piece.
- 'Parterre' occurs only in public theaters before a show, provoking spontaneous audience reactions.
- 'You Are a Dancer' is a radio piece with six formats, created at Baltic Art Center in Sweden.
- A monograph edited by Pierre Bal-Blanc is forthcoming from CAC Brétigny.
Entities
Artists
- Annie Vigier
- Franck Apertet
- Pierre Bal-Blanc
- Erik Verhagen
Institutions
- Les Gens d'Uterpan
- CAC Brétigny
- Théâtre Jean Vilar
- Biennale d'art contemporain de Lyon
- Baltic Art Center
Locations
- Champigny-sur-Marne
- France
- Brétigny
- Lyon
- Sweden
Sources
- artpress —