Fête de la Danse

Project Partner:
Institute for Choreography and Dance (icd)

Contact:
www.instchordance.com

Festival Date: 5 – 19 February 2005

Spectacularly Empty II

‘Spectacularly Empty II’ by Faustin Linyekula
Date: 15 – 16 February 2005
Venue: ICD, Firkin Crane

Masterclass for Professional Dancers by Maguy Marin
Date: 24 February 2005
Venue: ICD, Firkin Crane

UMWELT

'Umwelt' by Maguy Marin
Date: 25 February 2005
Venue: Cork Opera House

Project Description:
The 2005 'Fête de la Danse' was icd’s third festival of the best contemporary dance from ‘Spectacularly Empty II’ by Faustin Linyekula the francophone world. It boasted performances, installations, dance on film and workshops from artists as far a field as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso as well as from areas throughout Belgium and France.

Cork 2005 supported the opening and closing shows of the festival. The festival opened with an extraordinary work from young Congolese choreographer Faustin Linyekula. ‘Spectacularly Empty II’ was 'Umwelt' by Maguy Marin Linyekula's response to his hometown's newfound obsession with superficiality and materialism. Working with a trio of male dancers, he explored the emptiness behind the Versace suits and Mercedes cars, and the voracious appetite of the city that 'has to feed on everything, even its own materiality, to meet its permanent need for ostentation'.

To conclude Fête de la Danse 2005, icd and Cork 2005 were privileged to present ‘UMWELT’ – a compelling new piece from celebrated French choreographer Maguy Marin which caused considerable controversy when it premiered in France.