29.09.23 — 16:20
CN D Pantin
16:20 – 50 min.
Krump battles: confrontations, encounters, and survival
by Laurence Saboye, Wounded aka Lady Madskillz – Émilie Ouedraogo Spencer, Isabelle Dufau
When one looks into the world of Krump whether one considers it along with dance or from the point of view of dance, it becomes obvious that the various elements which compose it go far beyond a mere competition. Battles are above all a strategy to reappropriate space, a pretext to meet other dancers and bring dancing bodies together in a safe, supportive, sharing and open environment. From a video filmed during a final in which krump dancer Wounded aka Lady Madskillz competed, we will propose an analysis which will underline all these aspects. We will evoke what is known as “spirit”, a fundamental aspect of krump, and see how this dance, like many others, isn’t a sport, even though it is competitive. The way krumpers train, what is at stake, the way dancers take care of their bodies are first and foremost survival acts and artistic expression. This is how krump is uniquely autonomous, provocative and coherent.
17:10 – 40 min. [danced conference]
Performers and performance. A sociological performance on how an ordinary dancer acquires a taste
for competition
by Akène Lenoir, Marco Mary
When he was eleven, Akène Lenoir competed in his first triathlon. In 2014, he got into the National Conservatory for Dance and Music in Lyon in the ballet division. In 2017, as he was about to receive his graduating prize, he remembered how nervous he was to go on stage. A year ago, in front of the mirror, he picked a “trendy” outfit to go to an audition. Triathlon, entrance exams, competitions, auditions, his daily life has become all about competing for something. This danced conference has been conceived as a sociological performance, inviting a dialogue between choreography and sociological objectification. A dancer and a PhD candidate in sociology give their testimonies about their practices and their respective techniques on the place of competition in dance. As a game (a competition?) between the two protagonists, the roles are inverted, bodies engage with one another, and speech flows. This paper hinges around that triptych – competition, production, choreography!