Patricia Brignone's 'Ménagerie de Verre' Chronicles Two Decades of Avant-Garde Dance and Performance

Patricia Brignone's 'Ménagerie de Verre', released by Éditions Al Dante, delves into the evolution of La Ménagerie de Verre in Paris, which transitioned from a printing press to a multidisciplinary venue for choreographers and dancers. Since its founding, Marie-Thérèse Allier, who authored the preface, has directed the space, which has served as a groundbreaking center for experimental performance for two decades. It has fostered a generation of dancers challenging conventional dance, influenced by visual arts to create a more personal dance style. Prominent figures associated with the venue include Jérôme Bel, La Ribot, and Boris Charmatz. Additionally, visual artists like Alberto Sorbelli and Eric Madeleine explored new theatrical techniques. Brignone, an art critic and frequent visitor, evaluates the aesthetic results of these interdisciplinary interactions, highlighting 'new practices of the scenic body' that departed from traditional dance-spectacle, focusing instead on lived experiences and self-expression. The book features insights from Vincent Labaume.