The question of what meaning gestures carry within them, how they relate to or inform one another, and what physical experiences they are capable of evoking, runs through the work of choreographer Noé Soulier. 

In ›Portrait of Frédéric Tavernini‹, Soulier reflects on the life and work of the dancer Frédéric Tavernini. How does a dancer evolve in the course of his life? Which experiences shape him? On discovering the career path of Tavernini, who has danced in works by renowned choreographers including Maurice Béjart, Mats Ek, Trisha Brown, William  Forsythe or Angelin Prejlocaj, Noé Soulier was inspired to create a very personal portrait of him told simply through the gestures, underlying accents and intentions expressed in the works that he has once performed. Can a dancer’s body expose, reveal or voice a dance without actually dancing it? Can a dance be deciphered through the descriptive power of gestures alone? Pursuing and expanding on his ongoing research into the perception and significance of movements, Noé Soulier’s solo for Frédéric Tavernini winningly invites the audience to reconstitute memories of past dances from the traces that they have left on the artist's body.

Choreography: Noé Soulier Interpretation: Frédéric Tavernini Lights: Victor Burel Music: Scores by Matteo Fargion written for the piece: 3’50 and 1'59, Grand adage, Act III from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky (1877): 3’48, Prélude Opus 28, n. 20 by Frédéric Chopin ( 1835-1839): 1'45, Interpretation: Noé Soulier, Production: ND Productions (Paris), Executive producer: Centre national de danse contemporaine CNDC (Angers), Coproduction: CN D Centre national de la danse, Pantin (FR)

With the support of Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles d’Île-de-France – Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication au titre de l’aide à la structuration.

Since July 2020, Noé Soulier has taking over the direction of the CNDC of Angers. The CNDC of Angers is subsidized by the Ministry of Culture – DRAC des Pays de la Loire, the city of Angers, the Region Pays de la Loire, the Department Maine et Loire.

This work prolongs the research initiated in the project 7 Dialogues directed by Matteo Fargion and produced by Dance On Ensemble (dance-on.net).