Collectif ÈS

Gathered under the name Collectif ÈS, Sidonie Duret, Jeremy Martinez, and Émilie Szikora develop an artistic and cultural project deeply rooted in this collective challenge—the core of their artistic commitment, their compass for thinking, and the fertile ground for creation. ÈS is a preposition meaning "In matters of." It is always followed by a plural, signifying multiplicity—just like the collective's vision: the belief that every creative act or object should be co-signed by all three members. For Collectif ÈS, creating live performances is about sharing a physical intensity that drives bodies to engage fully. It is about a generosity of movement and action, never breaking the connection with the audience. A radical embrace of intuition, cultivating joy, weaving together contemporary dance history with deeply personal narratives. Their work navigates popular references, not without self-irony—ranging from aerobics to Whitney Houston, from John Travolta to Maurice Béjart, from La Marseillaise to the punk movement, and from European utopias to the Lambada. Since 2011, Collectif ÈS has co-created pieces fueled by the necessity of a collective approach and the social role it can play. To create is an opportunity to come together, to work as one, to question their relationship with others. In January 2025, Collectif ÈS will take over the direction of CCN d’Orléans to develop a project that reflects their convictions—joyful, physical, popular, and civic-minded. A utopian space where dance is made and shared, where people come together, dance, and celebrate. The CCN d’Orléans will become a living space for experimenting with these essential notions of otherness, collective momentum, and togetherness

The Collectif ÈS will work around a concept that is dear to them: the group—more specifically, through contact. Contact is a physical means—therefore extraordinarily tangible—of engaging in dialogue. It will be approached in a concrete, almost labor-like manner, based on actions and intentions that allow bodies to communicate with one another: pushing, grasping, resisting, sticking, supporting, shaking, embracing… A simplicity of intention for complex and interwoven group actions, which, when carried out with intensity, give rise to a virtuosity of movement. Being open to others' actions while staying true to my own intentions, throwing my body into the group with trust while remaining autonomous and responsible for my choices. Sidonie Duret, Jeremy Martinez, and Émilie Szikora wish to bring to life, through precise improvisations, the joyful interdependence they deeply believe in: when fully connected to one another, we multiply our possibilities without limiting our individual freedoms. A physical philosophy to be experienced through energizing pop sounds—because Collectif ÈS believes that pleasure is the first and foremost bond of a group.