FRG25 CAE ENGAGE Performance Dance residency with HEDO

This school residency aimed to raise awareness among all students, from kindergarten to 3rd grade, about contemporary dance through an artistic immersion with the Hédo collective and the Tantak collective. The ambition was to explore new gestures, to encourage bodily expression and to involve students in a process of choreographic creation while developing their creativity and collective commitment. 

The first day began with the reception of the students divided into groups and a presentation of the artistic intentions of the Hédo collective. Each group then participated in a collective warm-up session, followed by improvisation exercises designed to explore the themes of the project. Then, the students were invited to deepen their body research through various movement workshops adapted to their age and level. The work focused on interactions between dancers, the connection with space and the experimentation of group dynamics. A first choreographic sequence was outlined, allowing the artistic proposals to be adjusted. The other two days allowed the choreographic work to be refined and the restitution to be prepared.

The students continued their learning by working on the expressiveness and precision of the movements. The rehearsals were intensified to establish the structure of the project and allow a better appropriation of the choreographic sequences. A dress rehearsal was organized at the end of the day to measure the progress made.

This school residency offered students a real introduction to contemporary dance and allowed them to express themselves through movement. The commitment and investment of the participants were remarkable, fostering a beautiful collective dynamic. Among the strong points noted, we note a marked evolution in the students' self-confidence and greater bodily ease. Some adjustments remain to be made, particularly on the management of rhythm in certain choreographic sequences.