CORE Performance Company hosts French dance company, Association Manifeste, for two-week artistic residency

Beginning Oct. 15, Atlanta-based CORE Performance Company will be hosting Association Manifeste — a contemporary dance company hailing from Toulouse, France — for a two-week-long artistic residency.

During this time, the two companies will create, dance, and exchange together, offering workshops to local dancers and giving the public candid glimpses into the creative process. This two-week collaboration will include three events open to the public:

·Oct. 23, 2013, 6:30-8:00 p.m.— CORE will host a “Salon” at the CORE Studios on the Decatur Square, which will allow the audience to observe the creative work in-process, while enjoying light refreshments, and give feedback to the companies during an open exchange after the performance.  

·Oct. 24, 2013, 9:00 p.m. — Following the free theatrical performance of Aimé Césaire’s “Notebook of a Return to My Native Land,” presented by French actor Jacques Martial, CORE Performance Company and Association Manifeste will perform a sneak preview of their new dance creation in the lobby of the Rialto Center for the Arts. This collaborative work will continue to evolve with the goal of developing a national and international tour in 2014.

·Oct. 26, 2013, 8:30 p.m. — Within the framework of their Atlanta residency, Association Manifeste will present one of their most famous works, “Point of View on the Street Corner,” which offers viewers a unique opportunity to “travel” from one corner of the world to another, re-examining what we see and how we see it. This performance will take place on the corner of Forsyth and Poplar Street in downtown Atlanta.

CORE Artistic Director Sue Schroeder said her company is excited about this cross-cultural artistic conversation. “CORE is well-seasoned in creative collaborations, many of which have been with international artists, but this will be our first opportunity to work and create with French artists,” said Schroeder. “It is a beautiful way to bridge our two sister cities.”

The collaboration between these two dance companies is set to continue in the Spring of 2014 when CORE Performance Company will take up residency with Association Manifeste at their home in Toulouse, France, for another two weeks of workshops, creation, and performances. The objective of this exchange is to produce a collaborative work that will be performed nationally and internationally through the end of 2014. 

“The demand and interest of the French and American dancers to produce collaborative work speaks to the warm relations that have been fostered through the sister-city relationship,” said David Kibler, Cultural Attaché at the Consulate General of France in Atlanta. “The City of Toulouse, the City of Atlanta, the French Consulate, and most of all, the dancers themselves, are all excited about the synergy that is taking place, and we are thrilled to see that Atlanta is distinguishing itself as a breeding ground for international artistic cooperation.”

The artistic residency of Association Manifeste is made possible thanks to the support of CORE Performance Company, the City of Toulouse, the Institut Français, the City of Atlanta, the French Cultural Service of the Consulate General of France in Atlanta, and the Hilton Atlanta. 

The performances are presented by CORE Performance Company in partnership with France-Atlanta 2013 and the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University.

More information about this collaboration can be found at the following links:

http://www.coredance.org/atlanta/october-23-salon-core-performance-company-atlanta-and-association-manifeste-toulouse-fr/

http://www.france-atlanta.org/spip.php?article336

CORE is dedicated to innovation, collaboration and artistic risk-taking. A professional dance organization founded in 1980, CORE (Several Dancers Core, Inc.) creates, performs and presents contemporary dance.  With homes in Atlanta, GA and Houston, TX, CORE promotes dance awareness and education through their three organizational initiatives: CORE Performs, CORE Presents, and CORE Connects.  CORE Performance Company, the professional contemporary dance company of CORE, focuses on the ongoing development of the artistic process through the creation of new work. For more information about CORE, visitCOREdance.org, “like” COREdance on Facebook, or follow @coredances on Twitter.