Performance explores climate through dance
Fabrice Lambert's performance La vitesse de l'eau at the Abbey of Royaumont uses contemporary dance to examine climate change, focusing on the ocean currents that regulate Earth's climate. The work is set in the spiritual environment of the Abbey, which enhances the reflective nature of the piece.Dancers embody ocean currents
Three dancers represent the marine flows that drive ocean currents, moving with gliding steps on the Abbey's tiled floor. Their choreography includes stairs becoming races, spirals intertwining, and arms rising and bending the bodies in their momentum.Movement illustrates water circulation
Trajectories, turns, accelerations, and decelerations in the performance help to visualize the invisible nature of water circulation and the vitality of oceanic movements. As the performance progresses, the dancers' movements become more unstructured, reflecting the slowing down of ocean currents.Music intensifies the message
The electronic music of Patrick De Oliveira increases in intensity, emphasizing the shift in the dancers' movements and helping the audience understand the impact of climate change on ocean flows. This change in tempo and structure draws attention to the fragility of these natural systems.Dancers highlight both power and fragility
The performance invites the audience to focus on the details of the dancers' movements, such as the breathing of a shoulder or the relaxation of a torso. These moments reveal a touching fragility beneath the energy and virtuosity of the choreography.Performance ends with lingering silence
The show concludes without a clear stop, as a final current fades in the light. The silence of the Abbey, slightly disturbed by the breathing of the dancers, evokes the quiet, labored breath of an ocean struggling under the effects of climate change.
