Note of intent

In the Flood myth common to various different cultural traditions, the jubilant gure of Noah embodies a kind of breakthrough in humanity’s history. In summing up the past and preparing us for the future, Noah symbolises the coming of a new and better world. This second Creation erases the rst, which has been wrought by the machinations of evil and humanity’s degeneration. This is a new Adam, drawn from water rather than the earth, who, in Genesis, acts rst as a mortal and then a symbol of life because, upon leaving the womb and cradle that is the Ark, Noah and his offspring will repopulate the world. This epic tale is one in a long line of similar stories and can be interpreted on several levels. aint Augustin sought to show that the Ark’s proportions were the same as the human body’s, “which is also the body of Christ, which is also the Church”, while Paul Claudel saw the salvational Ark as a cathedral, its nave the prow of a ship navigating the heavens. We might also imagine Noah as humanity collectively seeking refuge within itself to cast off a past existence and start afresh, mining the abyss of its own being for new sources of energy. That is why, with the exception of the dove - a sign of hope in a new life -, we will not board all the animals. Instead, the movement of humanity will be represented by the symbolic, dancing gure of Noah beneath the light of a new sun. Thierry Malandain

Awards and distinctions

In 2017, at the end of the Paris performances of Noé in the Chaillot-Théâtre national de la Danse, the Malandain Ballet Biarritz received the prize of the « Best Company », adwarded by the Professional association of Theatre, Music and Dance criticism.

Press

Watch out masterpiece! Rarely does a piece of choreography live up to this description, which we for our part refrain from abusing.

Le Figaro, Ariane Bavelier • 11 May 2017

Malandain's incisive style is self-sufficient and doesn't need to be overplayed. If dance is to remain alive, it must be read with an open mind."

Le Monde, Rosita Boisseau • 16 May 2017

The man who has accustomed us to infinite laces of movement (see his splendid ballet Cinderella) offers here another aspect of his art.

Télérama, Emmanuelle Bouchez • 11 May 2017

Malandaine dance never ceases to amaze and seduce. (...) "Furtive evocations suddenly plunge the spectator into an archaic distance, something fresh, tangy, joyful that electrifies the course of this superb ballet.

L'Express, Laurence Liban • 16 May 2017

However, this flood appears to be more fortunate than cataclysmic. This impression is reinforced by the music - Rossini's Messa di Gloria, with its bright colours and vibrant flights of fancy.

La Croix, Marie Soyeux • 15 May 2017

These days, Thierry Malandain is one of the rare choreographers to dare to write such a sharp movement style, like a link between the classical and the modern. With "Noé", he takes his audience on a sea of changing colours. And dare to dream of a serene horizon.

Les Echos, Philippe Noisette • 15 May 2017

If Noé wanted to change the world in forty days, here an hour of dance is enough to change us. We leave the show feeling confident about our future and in tune with ourselves. Isn't that what art is all about?

Le Figaro Magazine, François Delétraz • week of 12 may 2017

We are taken aback by this strange biblical asceticism, and shaken by the totally geometric sequences, as in a Romanesque fresco, where the dancers slide their movement from one to the other, in a chain of shared identity, or by episodes of primitive jerking.

Concertclassic.com, Jacqueline Thuilleux • 13 May 2017