From ACT to ACTING

by Cédric Charron (Belgium) Jan Fabre Teaching Group

Cédric Charron is a member of the teaching team of subversive director Jan Fabre. Charon will be presenting a modern dance and improvisation – performance workshop expected to cause a stir. He will teach the ‘From ACT to ACTING’ method as devised and implemented by Jan Fabre himself.

Throughout his career, Jan Fabre has composed a series of “exercises” in the style of Stanislavski, Meyerhold, Grotowski, etc. These exercises are designed to prepare performers for their work on stage. These “guidelines for the 21st century performer” have become the cornerstone of his method and are reflected in his work. Emphasis is placed on the exploration of the imagination of “the body as a whole”.

Specifically, during the workshop the body becomes an instrument that explores the transition from the phase of action to the phase of acting. The imagination and consciousness of the individual as a natural entity gradually increase, inviting the performer to bridge the gap until a condition of physical transformation is reached.
In Cédric Charron’s case – born in Bretagne, France – it is interesting to hear that he did not initially choose dance. First he completed his MA in Economics and Political Science and in 1997 he decided to study performance and dance at P.A.R.T.S. In Brussels.

Charron started working with Jan Fabre in 1999 for the production of ‘As Long As The World Needs a Warrior’s Soul’. Later he worked on Fabre’s productions ‘Je suis sang’, ‘Tannhäuser’ , ‘The Crying Body’, ‘History of Tears’, ‘Orgy of Tolerance’  and ‘Prometheus landscape II’. He also collaborated on ”Preparatio Mortis’, a solo piece for Annabelle Chambon and he danced in Pierre Coulibeuf’s film ‘Les Guerriers de la beauté’. He also participates in Jan Fabre’s ‘Mount Olympus’ 24-hour project, which was presented at last year’s Dimitria.

While working with Fabre he also created the ‘Cedana’ group with Annabelle Chambon, and through this he has worked with artists such as Boris Charmatz,  William Forsythe, Thierry de Mey, Michèle Anne de Mey, Fatou Traoré and Filip Sangdor.
The seminar is addressed to professionals and Superior Dance School graduates.