“Dance is not a spectacle, it is a way of life” – Kommersant

Festival dance

Tomorrow in Lyon, the three-week Biennale de la danse, the largest dance festival in France, which this year turned out to have two artistic directors, ends. Dominique Hervieu, who has headed the festival since 2010, has received a new appointment. Her successor was a Portuguese Thiago Guedes, who told Tatiana Kuznetsova, what helped him get this post, how he plans to develop dance in Lyon and why he values ​​young people so much.

— You became the director of the Biennale de la danse for the competition. What was it about your project that allowed you to defeat strong competitors, including native Lyonnais Murad Merzouki?

— I focused on internationality. And he proposed a specific plan for the future, linking into one whole the House of Dance, the Biennale and a new venue – the Atelier…

— So the city will build another building for dancing?

– Well, yes. Will be ready in 2026. The state, region and city of Lyon have already allocated a budget of €18 million. Nine authors will be able to work in the Atelier at the same time – making performances for both the Biennale and the House of Dance. Let’s say the premieres will take place at the Biennale, and then the best will be included in the permanent repertoire of the House of Dance. In the Atelier there will be a large hall – a black box with 400 seats, a smaller hall – for 150 people, and also a studio – we will arrange a cabaret there, this is very popular now in France. There will also be a rehearsal room and a rooftop deck. Various courses are planned for young people – plastic disciplines, visual arts, music, dance drama. Involving young people in the dance orbit is the central point of my program. For example, children can create independent performances and, if successful, show them to the public.

— So this is actually a youth activity?

– And what? This is how fresh ideas are born. And in general, in my opinion, dance is not a spectacle, it is a way of life. At this biennale, we tried to create an evening club with DJs and artists: everyone who wanted could freely come to the Fagor plant on Fridays and Saturdays – eat and drink, hang out, dance, listen to live music, watch shows, chat with performers. These nights were extremely popular.

“But such social and youth projects do not bring money at all. Can you afford to dance at a loss? And in general, can culture make a profit or are these concepts incompatible?

– Listen, culture is very important for the development of society. Thanks to her, thanks to artists in the broad sense of the word, society is aware of its view of the world. The world is constantly changing, and we must feel and formulate these changes in order to change with the world. This is the mission of culture, not making money. As for our budget, it consists of state and city money, contributions from sponsors and funds from ticket sales. Of course, you have to fit into it.

— You keep talking about experiments and youth. But before, the Dance House was the main rental venue where troupes with a worldwide reputation performed. Has the concept changed?

— The House of Dance has a clear mission; it is a home for dances of all styles: neoclassical, traditional classical, flamenco, modern dance, dance theater, visual art. Large serious companies with a historical past and their own repertoire will continue to perform in a large hall with 1000 seats – this is a program on the history of dance. And before such performances, one of the young, unknown choreographers may perform – as a warm-up act, so to speak. In addition, we will build another hall in the Dance House, with 100 seats, for experiments. After all, young choreographers can also become great over time, can’t they?

— At this biennale you were a co-curator – part of the program was formed by your predecessor, Dominique Hervieu. Have you crossed anything off her list?

– I haven’t met her. I was appointed director of the biennale in May 2022, and Dominique left in February. I arrived in Lyon in September 2022 and, of course, received her list. I didn’t cross out anything. But if some company was going to show two performances, I left one as part of the biennale, and moved the second to October and sent these companies on tour to cities in the region. To be able to show other authors at the biennale, to maintain a balance between men and women, so that transgender people are represented. It turned out to be about 50/50: half of Dominic’s program, half of mine.

— They write that at the next biennale you will have five co-curators.

– Not certainly in that way. It is important to me that the Lyon Biennale is a global festival, not just a European one. Therefore, I invited one curator each from Mozambique, Australia, Taiwan, Rio de Janeiro, and New York. Each will present five choreographers. Among them, one, better unknown, should stage a production specifically for the Biennale. And I will choose 25 authors. Thus, half of the biennale will be European, half – world.

— You were also a choreographer in the past. Will you install it yourself?

– No, it’s over. My life can be divided into three periods. I grew up in a small Portuguese town and studied classical music from the age of 8 to 16. From 15 to 18 – dance and theater. Then he entered the University of Lisbon to study dance. As a dancer he worked with the best Portuguese choreographers – Joao Fiadeiro, Miguel Pereira, Vera Montero, Francisco Camacho. At the age of 22, I staged my first play, and it was successful: soon my works began to be invited to various festivals. So from 2002 to 2013 I was a dancer and choreographer. Over the next ten years, I turned into a director – I directed the Municipal Theater in Porto, and founded the “Days of Dance” festival in this completely non-dancing city. My background as a professional dancer and choreographer helped me a lot in my work. But this period is over. Now I am the director of the Lyon Dance House and the Biennale de la danse. And this is the next life cycle.

— And how many years do you have a contract in Lyon?

– Indefinite.