Le Chaînon manquant – The Missing Link (2010)

Premiered on May 28th 2010 at Bonlieu Scène nationale, Annecy, France

PRESENTATION

Gilles Jobin met Kettly Noel at Donko Seko dance space in Bamako (Mali) in September 2009. Gilles and Isabelle Rigat led a workshop in the frame of a decentralized formation program for the dancer. About 20 young dancers had participated to this project, supported by the Swiss Cooperation in Mali and Helvetas-Mali. Then, the Cie showed a public presentation of the workshop’s results and the Black Swan performance at the festival Dense Bamako Danse.

Gilles Jobin was enthusiast by the motivation of these young dancers who came from several regions of Mali (Kayes, Segu) and from western Africa (Niger). Their passion as their necessity of reaching the knowledge was stimulating. For this kind of country, dance is one of the possible key to access to the culture and to the formation.

In agreement with Kettly Noël, Gilles Jobin Cie decided to create a collaboration project, in order to pursue the decentralized formation, developing a creation part : Le Chaînon Manquant – The Missing Link.

In April, 2010, two malian dancers of Donko Seko (Mali) were invited to pursue the project in Geneva with four dancers of Gilles Jobin Company.
The dancers had started the rehearsals in May, 2010 in order to present the final performance called Le Chaînon Manquant – The Missing Link. The premiere happened on May 28th and 29th at Bonlieu Scène Nationale ( Annecy / France) for the Festival EXTRA 10 and on June 10th and 11th in Geneva for the Big Bang Festival.

During a 2 weeks workshop in Kayes (Mali) at the end of June 2010, Gilles Jobin Cie and 16 malians dancers worked on the development of the creation Le Chaînon Manquant – The Missing Link.