Happy Manif: The Sunny Side of Dance

David Rolland Choreographies, France

Conceptualised and performed by David Rolland, Valérie Giuga

Music: Roland Ravard

Produced by Association “Ipso Facto Dance”

Partners: French Institute, DRAC of the Loire Valley, Loire Valley Regional Council, Loire-Atlantic Department Council, City of Nantes

The participatory performance “Happy Manif: the Sunny Side of Dance”, where the audience serves as performers, always takes place in green spaces – fields, forests or urban parks. Two choreographers invite participants to join them in dance, following the instructions that they listen to by means of headsets or by imitating movements of one or the other choreographer. The voice in the headset invites children and parents to observe the environment carefully listening to different compositions, and to become physically active, imitating quivering of leaves or learning how to make waves with their hands. Walking on the sunny side of dance, the participants get to know about different styles of western dance, through a prism of choreographic relationship to natural elements.

This appearance is supported by the programme Theatrescope founded by the French Institute, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France and the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France and is realised in cooperation with the French Institute in Serbia and the “Novi Sad 2021 – European Capital of Culture” Foundation.