Creation and choreographic composition – session 1

A maximum of 16 trainees

• Identify and expand one’s choreographic vocabulary;
• Translate one’s intentions into structured choreographic concepts;
• Integrate different perspectives (spectator, researcher, artist) into one’s creative and compositional process;
• Coordinate one’s work with that of others, particularly with that of the performers.

This workshop is part of an effort to support choreographers in deepening their creative process by integrating sensory exploration, the structuring of choreography, and the sharing of creative processes. Participants are strongly encouraged to come prepared with a scene, a movement, a choreographic unit, or the beginnings of a piece.

Volmir Cordeiro views choreographic composition as a dynamic process that engages intuition, an awareness of artistic choices, and the relationship with others. It is grounded in an attention to the body as a site of thought, capable of producing meaning through its own perceptual, imaginative, and sensory logics. The educational program unfolds in three modules, corresponding to three stages of the creative process: the emergence of material, its circulation within the group, and finally its return to a structured and unique form.

Module 1

The first module is devoted to the emergence of choreographic material. The aim is to explore what constitutes the starting point of movement: a sensation, an image, an inner need, or a theme. The workshop explores how the body interacts with the world and becomes a generator of forms. Through improvisational exercises, constraints, and playful scenarios, participants are guided to identify a “focus of energy” and to bring forth an initial material. Attention is focused on how this material already carries a message within it, and on the conditions under which it emerges.

Module 2

The second module initiates a process of circulating this material. The aim is to pass it on, expose it to other bodies, and experience the transformations it undergoes. The group becomes a space for exploration where phenomena of exchange, displacement, and transfiguration unfold. Participants explore how personal material can be interpreted, transformed, and reimagined by others. This work involves accepting a form of relinquishment in favor of the material’s metamorphosis: transmutations, variations, and multiple resonances. This process allows participants to shift their perspective on their own creation and open up new avenues for creative expression.

Module 3

The third module offers a return to the self, building on the transformations that have taken place, in order to embark on a new phase in the work of composition and structuring. Participants are invited to organize their material in time and space, developing an awareness of the dynamics, tensions, and logic involved in constructing a scene. Various compositional tools are employed: work on phrasing, the use of repetition, variations in the qualities of presence, and the development of fictional situations or devices. The goal is also to examine the meaning produced, to construct a coherent form aligned with a clear artistic intention, and to connect individual choices to their historical or political underpinnings.

This program thus aims to foster the emergence of unique choreographic styles by integrating sensory experience, critical reflection, and engagement with contemporary issues, in order to support context-specific artistic approaches.

• Sharing of tools and methodologies, peer collaboration;
• Choreographic practice in the studio.

The entire educational process places a central emphasis on verbalizing and analyzing practices, in order to enable participants to articulate their approach, clarify their choices, and strengthen their ability to engage in dialogue within a collaborative work environment. 

Instructor

Volmir Cordeiro

After winning the SACD’s New Talent in Choreography Award in 2021, Volmir Cordeiro has established himself in the field of choreography with a style that seeks to evoke a liberating euphoria, blending a festive atmosphere with transgressive movement. With each new work, he deepens his exploration of spaces, urban environments, and the potential connections with the margins and their metamorphoses. Alongside his career as a performer, researcher, and choreographer, Volmir Cordeiro continues to teach in training programs in France and abroad (Master Exerce/CCN Montpellier, CNSDMP, La Place de la Danse, Centro de Artes da Maré, Danish School of Performing Arts, CND, Ménagerie de Verre, École de Beaux-Arts de Cergy, etc.). He performs for several choreographers (Lia Rodrigues, Vera Mantero, Xavier Le Roy, Latifa Lâabissi) and, through his company Donna Volcan, has been creating his own shows since 2012: the solo cycle Ciel, Inês, and Rue, followed by the piece for four dancers L’œil, la bouche et le reste, as well as a video exhibition of the same title exploring the poetics of the face in the history of dance; he then created Trottoir in 2019, Métropole and Outrar in 2021, and Abri in 2023. In 2022, with Érosion, a new work for the dancers of the CCN – Ballet de Lorraine in Nancy, Volmir Cordeiro revisits the Ballets Suédois, a Dadaist troupe based at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées between 1920 and 1925. That same year, he adapted an excerpt from L’œil, la bouche et le reste for Cie Catalyse, a troupe of professional actors and actresses with disabilities, as part of the Vignette(s) project, directed by Bernardo Montet. In 2019, he authored the book Ex-Corpo (published by Carnets du CN D), which explores the margins of contemporary dance and the concept of the artist-researcher.

€ 1600 for trainees whose costs are covered 
€ 650 for trainees whose costs are not covered

• Complete the application form and submit it along with a resume, a cover letter, and two video clips of your creative work or ongoing research (total duration: 5 minutes).
  Application deadline: 09.13.2026
• Applications will be reviewed by the CN D to ensure that the applicants’ backgrounds, expectations, and needs align with the program’s objectives and requirements.
  Responses will be sent by 10.01.2026, at the latest
• If you are applying for financial assistance, please allow extra time and contact the administrative coordinator for help in preparing your application (AFDAS, France Travail, Adami, etc.).
  Your registration will be finalized after your application has been approved and your payment has been received.

• A self-assessment is administered at the beginning and end of the training;
• A certificate of completion is issued to each participant at the end of the training;
• A questionnaire evaluating the training and what was learned is sent to the trainees after the course.

Schedule (for all 3 modules):

Monday: 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday–Wednesday–Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.