The Cultural Services of the French Embassy, in partnership with FACE Foundation, is pleased to announce the 2020 FUSED (French U.S. Exchange in Dance) grantees. Since 2004, FUSED has fostered cultural exchange in the field of contemporary dance by supporting performances of French dancers and choreographers in the U.S. and American dancers and choreographers in France.
This year, the COVID-19 has impacted all continents and continues to touch the world's population. The artistic and cultural sector has also been particularly affected by this global health crisis. Today, more than ever, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the FACE Foundation are proud to promote artistic performances through the FUSED program. In 2020, eleven institutions will receive grants for a total amount of $100,000
Note: the projects described below have been postponed until 2021-2022.
Two creative residencies were selected this year: The multidiscplinary institution DiverseWorks, Houston, TX, has invited the choreographer-performer Emmanuelle Huynh and the visual artist Jocelyn Cottencin to create a new work inspired by the city of Houston, its urban environment and its communities. It will be part of Huynh' series entitled Portraits de Ville (Portraits of a City). Former director of Musée de la danse / Centre chorégraphique national de Rennes et de Bretagne, Boris Charmatz, will be hosted by the Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center in Asheville, NC, for a future production in 2022. Charmatz will also be joined by Dimitri Chamblas (at present Dean, School of Dance at CalArts, CA) to revive and perform their famous duo À bras-le-corps.
The 2020 FUSED selection emphasizes the creations of several artists from different African countries (South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Morocco): New York Live Arts will present And so you see … our honorable blue sky and ever enduring sun… can only be consumed slice by slice…a solo performance conceived by the choreographer-director Robyn Orlin for the artist Albert Ibokwe Khoza. Also from South Africa, Steve Cohen, will perform Put your heart under your feet …and walk in tribute to the unforgettable dancer Elu, presented by FIAF (French Institute Alliance Française.)
And so you see … our honorable blue sky and ever enduring sun… by Robyn Orlin © Jérôme Séron
Näss by Compagnie Massala led by Fouad Boussouf explores regional Moroccan dances and traditional Arab culture as well as contemporary hip hop and will be presented by The Joyce Theater in New York and Global Arts Live in Boston. And NYU Skirkball will present Wakatt, a groupe piece by Burkinabé choreographer Serge Aimé Coulibaly and his company Faso Dance Théâtre.
In addition, BAM will present Crowd by choreographer and puppeteer Gisèle Vienne. Inspired by the Berlin club scene, Crowd explores rave culture, community, and conflict and reveals through movement the relationship between art and the sacred.
Crowd by Gisèle Vienne © Barbara Braun
Controversial subjects rooted in today's society will also be explored corporally by performers Shantala Shivalingappa, Ghislaine Gau, and more, in Moving alter-natives, a piece inspired by Ruth St-Denis' dances, conceived by Anne Collod at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Chicago; and the Brazilian France-based artist Pol Pi in Me Too, Galatae at The Invisible Dog Art Center in New York City.
FUSED also supports the French-New Orleanian artistic exchange New Orleans Fever, led by French choreographer Marie Houdin. Three New Orleans street dancers will join a collective of French performers and the Fonk Nola Brass Band to present performances produced by Houdin's company Engrenage[s] in Orleans, Lille and Rennes.
Click here for more information about our 2020 FUSED Grantees.
FUSED (French U.S. Exchange in Dance) is a program of FACE Foundation in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States with the support of the Florence Gould Foundation, The Ford Foundation, Institut français-Paris, French Ministry of Culture, and private donors.
