Clown and Dance

Each of these disciplines has codes of its own but they are rooted both in corporeality, anchorage, mastering rhythm, listening attentively to the sensations and emotions that arise at every moment and in the pleasure of translating them into artistic shapes; As many confluence points between these two practices that will enable each one to enrich the other, to discover accesses and explore a new vocabulary.

Relying primarily on the 5 rhythms dance and on contact-dance, we will focus more on somatic, energetic and relational qualities of the dance movements rather than on a specific technics; drawing attention on breathing, weight, relaxation, changes of rhythm and emotional ranges, going back and forth between internal and external perceptions, between intimate dance and dance offered to the others, between the dance of anger and the dance of gratitude … will be as many boosting practices as preludes to clowning.

We will start with the principle that the clown is an autonomous being, already present inside us. Totally different in appearance, but authentically within us.

Our work will consist of opening up to him by first opening up to the pleasure of being extreme and ridiculous.

 The idea is not “to be” a clown, but “to let” the clown be himself.

 We’ll meet this character through several steps, including:

• Funny exercises focused on listening, empathy, amplifying emotional states …
• Exercises on rhythm
• Relating to the audience
• Practicing « the flop » and associated vulnerability
• Improvisations, solo or in groups around the concept of emergence: from simple and specific constraints, our strengths and abilities will appear as clearly as our tics and flaws, our clumsiness, our desires, our impulses, our fantasy … everything the clown delights in.

Always looking for his fun, the clown reveals our creative and comic potential, he reconnects us to our ingenuity and to the pleasure of being ourselves in front of the others.

About Fabienne’s clown work : www. absolute-olga.com