Launched in 2005, the Étés de la danse festival put on high-quality dance performances in the gardens of the National Archives. In 2007, it moved to the Grand Palais. The guest company was the Cuban National Ballet directed by Alicia Alonso, now in her eighties! For several days, the Grand Palais became a prestigious dance scene open to the widest possible public. The company has, since its beginnings in 1948, transcended the classical repertory, embracing contemporary ideas without sacrificing any of its Hispano-American identity. The celebrated troop alternated between two classics of the ballet repertory, Giselle and Don Quixote, and also offered fans the opportunity to attend the dancers' warming-up sessions. Musical evenings and an exhibition added a final touch to the Cuban flavour of the festival.
Three shows are on the schedule: Minus One; Toot - Noces - Six dances; and Les Quatre Saisons - Cantata. The 37 dancers will be performing pieces by Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylián, and Mauro Bigonzetti. After the performance, each evening will continue in party mode as deejays and video jockeys from Montreal concoct a multimedia environment in which the public can go through their own paces and let go! In addition to the dance performances, the public will be able to see Jocelyne Alloucherie's photographic installation Occidents, an exhibition made up of large-format black and white photos of architectural features displayed on 3D media. The final touch will be provided by Nicolas Reeves' "flying cubes" floating around the Grand Palais.
