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CLAVIERES VIRGINIE / SIPA

The Montpellier Danse festival, which was to celebrate its 40th anniversary last June, will finally begin on Saturday, in the Hérault capital, after a postponement of three quarters of its programming from September 19 to the end of December, due to the Covid-19.

"To give up celebrating the 40th anniversary of the festival in June and July was extraordinarily violent because it is a year and a half of work and the preparation of the reception of hundreds of artists which has been shattered", Festival director Jean-Paul Montanari told AFP.

While many summer festivals have been completely canceled, the team has managed to "move forward" by imagining a "40 Bis", which takes up a large part of the initial programming by mixing it with the 2020-2021 season. .

"There is something unreal"

Saturday, the festival will open outdoors with

So Schnell

, a piece by the late choreographer Dominique Bagouet, recreated by Catherine Legrand.

The initial lineup that was saved also included

Love train 2020

, a world premiere by Israeli choreographer Emanuel Gat, a solo on Goldberg variations by Belgian Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, pieces by Israeli artist Arkadi Zaides, from the 'German Raimund Hoghe or French Mourad Merzouki.

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In a few days, Dominique Bagouet will be in the spotlight for the opening of Montpellier Danse 40 Bis!

Catherine Legrand, great performer of the choreographer, reinvents So Schnell 1990-2020, a jewel of choreographic writing initially created to inaugurate the Berlioz Opera in Montpellier in 1990. - On Cantata BWV 26 by Jean-Sébastien Bach, savor the delicacies of this dance: Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September at 8:30 p.m. at the Théâtre de l'Agora - Stock Photo © @carolineablain #dominiquebagouet #catherinelegrand #soschnell #bach #cantate #classicalmusic #montpellierdanse # md40bis #danse #dansecontemporaine #contemporarydance #performance #festival # festival2020 #spectaclevivant #culture #montpellier

A post shared by Montpellier Danse (@ montpellier.danse) on Sep 14, 2020 at 8:04 am PDT

The Hérault having been placed in the red zone for the circulation of the coronavirus, uncertainties weigh however on this programming according to the evolution of health measures.

“There is something unreal, we work, we take out documents, we sell tickets but until I see people sitting in a room with artists working in front of me, I don't won't believe it, ”admits Jean-Paul Montanari.

Despite “checkered rooms, a seat yes, a seat no… We keep what remains essential for me, trying to present the work, which also allows the artist to be paid - because he has to live, and to satisfy at least half of the public, ”he concludes.

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