Ballet Preljocaj – CCN d’Aix-en-Provence
Direction Angelin Preljocaj
To this day, Angelin Preljocaj has more than 60 choreographic creations in his repertoire, which appear to be categorised into two formats or themes.
He is internationally renowned for his spectacular ballets that blend complexity with accessibility. These works are comprehensive artistic expressions that pulsate with life, harmoniously integrating meticulous choreographic writing and craftsmanship across all facets: music, visual art, scenography, costumes, and lighting. In addition to grand narrative pieces accessible to all audiences, such as Snow White, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake…, the artist embarks on a fundamental search through projects that perfectly embody the essence of choreographic vocabulary, like Empty moves and Gravity.
The CCN d’Aix-en-Provence currently houses 30 full-time dancers, and a “Junior” ballet comprising 12 performers. Additionally, Preljocaj established the Groupe Urbain d’Intervention Dansée (G.U.I.D., literally “urban group of dance intervention”), aimed at promoting dance across the region. Performers adapt their art to various locations, including village squares near Aix-en-Provence, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and centres for people with disabilities. The Pavillon Noir also fulfils various missions under the CCN label, serving as a laboratory for the intensive work done by the company, the numerous hosted artists and an associate artist. It also offers off-site performances and facilitates international outreach through Ballet Preljocaj tours (approximately 130 dates annually).
Moreover, Preljocaj emphasised from the onset that Pavillon Noir should serve as a venue for other performances, believing that a place dedicated to performing arts should help disseminate artistic works and welcome all audiences.
The venue
Angelin Preljocaj only had one word in mind when he asked Rudy Ricciotti to design the Pavillon Noir: “see-through”.
He then envisioned an architectural lexicon made of cement sleepers, the exoskeleton of a glass structure that removes the barriers between the outside and inside worlds. Passers-by see the artists at work as they walk by the building, and vice versa.
The Pavillon Noir spans 3,000 m2 and includes four dance studios, a 17 × 15 stage, 400 m2 of workspace, as well as show halls that were explicitly requested by the director, with a capacity of about 400 seats.
The Pavillon Noir has four main features. First, its recruitment policy is unique among all CCNs: in 18 years, it has opened 30 full-time dancer positions, built its own administrative staff and hired show technicians.
Next, the structure has become a genuine dance factory that buzzes daily, comparable to a “beehive”, as Preljocaj calls it. It is a place where artists meet during their residencies, and where spectators are also welcome to attend rehearsals.
Regarding training, the CCN d’Aix-en-Provence ventures into all possible fields. Besides imparting know-how onto young professional dancers, the CCN designed two vocational integration tools. One is Ballet Preljocaj Junior, which recruits six permanent dancers every year. The other is the Pavillon Noir that gives dancers-choreographers free rein to present their own creations, during the Affluents programme.
Finally, programming is an entity of its own. It requires the support of an entire team that also manages the artistic selection process. The venue has been consistently recording high attendance, and the emphasis on programming remains a clearly asserted choice by the Pavillon Noir.
Press & media
Podcast / Radio
Key dates
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1985
Creation of the Compagnie Preljocaj.
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1989
The CCN label is awarded to the choreographic laboratory founded by Angelin Preljocaj at the Jean-Vilar Cultural Centre in Champigny-sur-Marne.
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1996
Compagnie Preljocaj becomes Ballet Preljocaj—CCN d’Aix-en-Provence.
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1998
Creation of the G.U.I.D., Groupe Urbain d’Intervention Dansée.
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2006
Inauguration of the Pavillon Noir, home to the CCN d’Aix-en-Provence and designed by Rudy Riccioti.
CS 30824
13627 AIX-EN-PROVENCE CEDEX 1
+33 4 42 93 48 00
https://preljocaj.org
