Two choreographies in Paris explore body and age

At Théâtre Chaillot in Paris, two dance works confront aging and non-normative bodies. Rachid Ouramdane's "Un Jour Nouveau" is a fifteen-minute one-shot featuring dancers Darryl E. Woods and Herma Vos. The piece reflects on time passing through bodies, discipline, and romantic relationships, drawing from Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" (1973) and its closing song "Send in the Clowns." The performance blurs representation and everyday life with lights on the audience, slow controlled movements, and direct address. It ends with projected lyrics in French synced to the dancers' voices. The second work, Angelin Preljocaj's "Birthday Party," runs fifty minutes with eight performers (not all professionals), multiple costume changes, and a sequence of increasingly disturbing birthday party tableaux. Preljocaj references the dystopian immortality of Zardoz (1974) and Sara Ahmed's question "Why happy? Why Now?" (2010). Despite intentions to embrace alternative virtuosities, the choreography struggles to fully integrate the performers' non-normative bodies into a new syntax free from ableist and ageist standards. Mario Barzaghi's solo stands out as a genuine alternative, though the audience's condescending reactions suggest a missed opportunity.