Satchie Noro (JP/FR) & Elise Vigneron (FR)
MIZU
WATERSIDE PLATFORM
(below the pedestrian bridge to Silesian Ostrava Castle)
MONDAY, JUNE 22, 6 PM
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
This year, MOVE Ostrava, TANEC PRAHA and Léto v centru bring to Ostrava one of the most remarkable projects on the contemporary European performing arts scene. The Japanese-French production MIZU combines dance, contemporary circus, puppetry and the power of natural elements into an unforgettable experience.
The performance takes place directly on the water. At its centre stands a pontoon with a monumental wooden structure resembling a crescent moon. It is here that something unexpected comes to life before the audience’s eyes – a human figure made of ice. And from the very moment it awakens, it also begins to slowly disappear.
An intimate dialogue gradually unfolds between dancer and choreographer Satchie Noro and an ice puppet that melts and transforms with every touch. Suspended from the structure, the bodies levitate, intertwine and, in powerful moments, gaze into each other’s eyes. Accompanied by a meditative score, they share moments of silent embrace. Yet this closeness comes at a cost – the warmth of touch begins to change the puppet.
The ice slowly melts, droplets fall to the ground, and later entire fragments break away and shatter softly against the floor. Equally captivating is the sight of the dancer becoming increasingly soaked, while puppeteer Sarah Lascar remains a natural and unobtrusive presence within the scene. Mutual support, subtle weight-sharing, lifts and rotations – everything unfolds in the rhythm of inevitable transformation.
MIZU – Japanese for water – is a visually stunning yet deeply human performance. A poetic meditation on impermanence, relationships and the beauty of moments that cannot be held onto. A story of connection that transforms with every touch. Of endings that are inevitable and therefore all the more precious.
Following a series of successful open-air projects presented in Ostrava over recent years, we are delighted to bring another extraordinary outdoor experience to the city. If you only attend one MOVE event this year, make it MIZU. Although we hope it will inspire you to return for many more performances, each with its own unique magic.
The performance is presented in cooperation with the international festival TANEC PRAHA, as part of the Léto v centru programme, and with the kind permission of the Ostravice River Authority. Suitable for children aged 4+ and adult audiences alike.
Satchie Noro is an internationally recognised artist who creates across diverse environments and disciplines. After studying classical dance, she worked in Berlin and New York before joining leading dance companies in France. Since 2000, she has been dedicated to aerial circus techniques, and in 2002 she founded her own company, Compagnie Furinkaï. She has created works presented around the world, and her artistic practice is acclaimed for its originality and for boldly crossing genre boundaries. She has twice been selected among the TOP 20 artists of the prestigious European platform Aerowaves.
Creative team
Artistic direction – stage direction: Satchie Noro and Élise Vigneron
Puppeteer: Sarah Lascar
Choreography and dance: Satchie Noro
Ice puppet design: Élise Vigneron
Stage design and construction: Éric Noël and Silvain Ohl
Puppet construction: Vincent Debuire assisted by Silvain Ohl and Théo Nérestan
Textile design: Aurore Thibout
Original music composition: Carlos Canales
Sound system design: Hans Kunze
ext excerpt: Olivier Remaud, Penser comme un iceberg, Babel poche, 2023, p.62-63
Voiceover: Millaray Lobos
Sound engineer: Karine Dumont alternating with Hans Kunze
Technical manager: Éric Noël, Robin Noël or Vincent Debuire
Assistant director: Zoé Lizot
Administration & development: Cie Furinkaï & Lucie Leclaire
Production : Émilie Boutet & Lola Goret
Diffusion: Émilie Boutet
Communication : Cie Furinkaï & Eva Sylvestre
Production: Furinkaï (Satchie Noro) and Théâtre de l’Entrouvert (Élise Vigneron)
Furinkaï is supported by DRAC Île de France. Théâtre de l’Entrouvert is supported by DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Région Sud, Vaucluse Departmental Council, and the city of Apt.
Co-producers:
Théâtre Le Vellein, scènes de la CAPI - Villefontaine (38), Théâtre de Châtillon (92), Les Noctambules - Nanterre (92), Houdremont Centre culturel - La Courneuve (93), Théâtre du Fil de l’Eau - Pantin (93), Théâtre de la Joliette - Marseille (13), La Lisière - lieu de création - Bruyères-le-Châtel (91), Art’R - Paris (75), Sud-Est Théâtre - Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (94), Les Ateliers Frappaz - Centre National des Arts de la Rue et de l’Espace Public - Villeurbanne (69), Points communs - Nouvelle Scène nationale de Cergy-Pontoise / Val d'Oise (95)
Support:
DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, DRAC Île de France, National Aid for Street and Circus Arts Creation, Région Sud, Vaucluse Departmental Council, Seine-Saint-Denis Departmental Council, City of Paris, Vélo Théâtre – Apt (84), Citron Jaune – CNAREP – Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône (13), Le Bercail – Dunkirk (59), Groupe F – Arles (13).
Satchie Noro - Company Furinkaï and Élise Vigneron - Théâtre de l'Entrouvert have been selected by the European platform Aerowaves for MIZU. Aerowaves is co-funded by the Creative Europe's Platform Programme for the promotion of emerging artists of European Union Commission.