Like all festivals, It's time to love dancing it was built around its audience. Since its inception in 1990 in Biarritz, the program has been designed to introduce spectators to all styles of dance, making the curious more informed, the aficionados more trained and informed every year. Because in addition to approximately fifty performances on stage, festival-goers have access to workshops, balls, master classes, conferences, exhibitions, screenings, public rehearsals, as well as the famous “gigabarre” on Sunday morning, which includes hundreds of amateur dancers and which is exported this year to Pau.
Following this enthusiasm among the general public, many professionals, whether they appear on the poster or not, dedicate their “back to school” event to the Biarritz event. Recognized artists or leaders of cultural authorities participate for several days in this kind of summer dance university that accompanies the performances on stage.
Studio atmosphere
Over the years, the organizers have strengthened the proposals addressed to professionals, with technical meetings, training in various fields such as dancer's health or brainstorming sessions regarding the introduction of eco-responsible practices in the production of shows.
This studious atmosphere during the day complements the more recreational aspect of the evenings and explains why much of the staff of the 19 national choreographic centres, the CCNs, meet in the seaside town every September. This year even more so as these centers, which cover the whole of France alongside the ballets of the great metropolises, are celebrating their 40th anniversary.
A network that shines
The host Malandain Ballet Biarritz, the latest CCN born in 1996, decided to mark this anniversary with an exhibition, performances and conferences that trace their shared history and their missions since their launch in 1984 by Jack Lang. “CCN is not just an acronym! For this anniversary, we want to show that the richness of this network is based on artistic creation, but not only”, insists Arnaud Mahouy, former dancer and today in charge of artistic development and coordination for CCN in Biarritz. “These structures include managers, technicians, administrators, people who work behind the scenes, cultural mediators who carry out educational aspects… These professionals are not on the stage, but without them, no influence is possible. »
The National Ballet of Marseille x (LA) HORDE and its 18 dancers.
Theo Giacometti
Thierry Malandain, artistic director of both the CCN and Biarritz festivals, selects performances that offer a smart mix of major international ballets, independent companies and creations from the CCN network. This year, Marseille, Tours, Rennes, Nantes and Grenoble are invited to present their work in the Basque Country, responding to the dissemination mission assigned to the network and echoing the anniversary exhibition offered throughout the festival at the Casino Municipal in Biarritz. .
The festival won over its audience with free outdoor sessions, such as the famous “gigabarre” on the Grande Plage in Biarritz and which will be exported to the Place Récaborde in Pau on Saturday 14 September.
Hello Nicolas
CCN of Tours will dance “The Invasion of Being” (I dance with Duras) by the unclassifiable Thomas Lebrun; the one in Rennes and Brittany will present “Queen Blood”, an explosive urban ballet in the Afro-house way; Nantes will combine dance and humor in “In comune”. Finally, CCN from Marseille, from the star collective (La) Horde and its 18 dancers will give their bodies to the creations of four female choreographers.
Time to Love Dance, until September 16, in Biarritz and in 17 towns in Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Program and activated tickets www.letempsdaimer.com. Exhibition at the Municipal Casino, every day, from 14.00 to 19.00 and until 21.00 on show nights.