ICI – Centre chorégraphique national de Montpellier

Direction Christian Rizzo

The ICI—CCN is a hub for research, creation, production and higher education. It is fully dedicated to contemporary dance and multidisciplinary choreographic forms. It is an “experimental academy” and a “caravanserai”, where Christian Rizzo explores the following question: in which forms and practices do we find what can be choreographed?

In addition to supporting creation and production, and establishing various programmes, the ICI-CCN plays a significant role in raising awareness and imparting knowledge about dance. It organises regular gatherings, both theoretical and practical, with artists from the ICI season. Some of the theoretical and practical classes from its master’s degree are open to the public.

In the region, the ICI—CCN co-manages the PREAC Chorégraphie et Création Contemporaine. It organises seminars, conferences, training sessions, and school-oriented awareness workshops. This initiative aims to structure and support the choreographic field in Montpellier and the Occitanie region. Since Christian Rizzo’s appointment, the ICI-CCN has been committed to helping about 15 young dancers from its master’s degree enter the professional market.

When Christian Rizzo arrived in 2015, he decided to revamp this master’s degree. He annualised the admission of students in the first two years of training, and overhauled the curriculum, to focus on the transversality of practices and resources. In 2020, he set up a vocational integration fund and created “post master’s degree” residencies, in collaboration with several partners.

The ICI—CCN is part of the following networks: the Réseau danse Occitanie and the Réseau Life Long Burning—Future Lost and Found (2023–2026), which has partners across 12 European countries. Embracing this openness to Europe, the ICI—CCN is also part of “Be My Guest, international network for emerging practices”, which comprises 13 international partners.