Bengaluru will witness French contemporary dance reach new heights in ‘Elevation’
When the body hovers between ascent and collapse, Elevation finds its poetry. Commissioned especially for India and touring the country for the first time, this French contemporary dance double bill brings together Yoann Bourgeois’ Approach 17. Opening Act and Lucas Struna’s Dialogue au Mât. Presented by the French Institute in India in collaboration with the Alliance Française Network, the production marks the India debut of both companies and continues the French Embassy’s long-standing commitment to fostering cross-cultural dialogue through the performing arts.
Rooted in the physical and poetic possibilities of gravity, the evening explores suspension, balance and the fleeting moment before a fall. Yoann’s minimalist work turns a simple staircase into a site of risk and wonder, while Lucas’ Mallakhamb-inspired solo transforms the vertical pole into a living axis of movement and breath. Together, the two works create an aerial language that speaks of human fragility and resilience, control and surrender — inviting audiences to reflect on the universal impulse to rise, even as gravity inevitably pulls us back.
Elevation explores rising, falling and suspension. Why does gravity play such an important role in your work?
Yoann Bourgeois: Gravity is the most constant partner we have. It is always there, shaping every movement, whether we resist it, follow it or negotiate with it. Working with gravity allows me to speak about very human conditions: effort, failure, persistence and acceptance. It is not something to defeat, but something to dialogue with.
Lucas Struna: For several years, with Compagnie ISI, I have been exploring verticality through the pole. Gravity lies at the heart of this research, as it is the only absolute constraint of the body. It cannot be ignored or avoided. Working with gravity means accepting falling as much as rising — a constant dialogue between resistance and surrender.
Both pieces focus on the moment just before a fall. What makes this pause so meaningful to you?
Yoann: That moment contains everything. It is a point of absolute presence, where time seems to slow down. The body is alert, the mind is open and all possibilities are still there. For me, it is a poetic space — fragile, intense and deeply alive.
Lucas: The moment before the fall is one of extreme suspension. The body is still in control, yet already off balance. This brief instant concentrates a powerful intensity: everything is possible, nothing has yet been decided. I see it as a deeply human metaphor of choice, doubt and commitment when facing the unknown.
Your performances are minimal, yet powerful. How does simplicity help tell the story better?
Yoann: Simplicity helps remove distractions. When there is less to look at, we can feel more. A minimal setup allows the audience to focus on the essential — the body, the movement, the risk, the breath. It creates space for projection and emotion.
Lucas: Minimalism is a conscious choice. By removing what is unnecessary, the gesture becomes more legible and direct. The pole, the body and gravity are enough. Simplicity allows the audience to physically feel what is at stake, without being distracted by narrative or decorative elements.
Objects like a staircase or a pole become central to the performance. How do these structures change the way the body moves?
Yoann: These objects impose constraints and constraints generate creativity. They ask the body to invent new paths, balances and rhythms. The object becomes a partner — sometimes supportive, sometimes resistant — and movement emerges from that relationship.
Lucas: These structures are not accessories, but true partners. The pole imposes a radical verticality that places the body in direct relation with gravity. Inspired by Mallakhamb, it becomes more than an acrobatic apparatus — an axis, almost symbolic. The body enters into dialogue with it, transforming movement into something more grounded, rhythmic and attentive to breath.
There is a strong sense of control and risk in both works. How do you balance discipline and freedom on stage?
Yoann: Discipline creates safety; freedom gives meaning. The structure must be precise enough to allow real risk. Freedom is not the absence of rules — it appears when the rules are fully embodied.
Lucas: Freedom is born from discipline. The risk perceived by the audience comes from extremely rigorous preparation. Discipline provides the framework; freedom emerges in how the moment is inhabited. It is between mastery and letting go that movement becomes alive.
One work draws from Mallakhamb, while the other aims for a universal language. How do you see culture shaping movement and expression?
Yoann: Every movement comes from a cultural context, even when it feels universal. Mallakhamb carries history and knowledge, but a falling or suspending body speaks to everyone. I am interested in that meeting point between the specific and the shared.
Lucas: Each culture shapes a particular relationship to the body. Mallakhamb brings history, discipline and transmission, while my work is rooted in contemporary European physical theatre. What interests me is the encounter — where a traditional practice dialogues with contemporary writing, allowing movement to cross cultures while respecting their singularities.
This is your first tour in India. What are you most looking forward to?
Yoann: Even though I won’t be physically present, I am attentive to how the work meets Indian audiences through the performers. I am curious about how this relationship to gravity, risk and suspension — so universal, yet deeply connected to Indian physical traditions — will resonate here.
Lucas: I see this tour as a moment of resonance and listening. Performing in the country where Mallakhamb originates gives the work a particular depth. I am especially looking forward to encounters — with artistes, audiences and the perspectives they bring to this cross-cultural dialogue.
When audiences leave Elevation, what do you hope stays with them?
Yoann: I hope they leave with a heightened sense of presence — an awareness of their own bodies, balance and moments of suspension in life. A feeling that fragility and strength are not opposites, but part of the same movement.
Lucas: I hope they leave with a sensation rather than a message — a physical memory, a suspended breath. A renewed awareness of their own body in relation to gravity, risk and balance. If a sensitive trace remains, then the dialogue has taken place.
Entry free. January 17 & 18, 4.45 pm. At Freedom Park, Seshadri Road.
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