Groupe Grenade

In 1989/90, the Ministry of Culture offered Josette Baïz a one-year residency in the northern districts of Marseille at the Ecole de la Bricarde. There, with the help of director Luc Riolon, she created the film ‘Mansouria’, which brought together around a hundred children in a variety of disciplines including dance, singing and theatre. Josette discovered that children from all backgrounds were fully involved in these dance projects.
A second residency took place at a school in Aix-en-Provence, where a 2nd film, ‘La Caverne des Nats’, was made by Vincent Bidault. It brought together some forty children from Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, and focused more on choreography.
Josette Baïz’s work in the neighbourhoods of Aix and Marseille during these two successive years of residency culminated in 1992 in an unusual experiment, the creation of a group of young dancers from these neighbourhoods: the Groupe Grenade.

Over the first 10 years, the young members of Groupe Grenade gradually blended their diverse choreographic backgrounds to invent a unique and original language. From the outset, ‘métissage’ has been the Group’s hallmark, drifting from contemporary to hip-hop via a wide range of ethnic dances.
The success of the tours reinforced Josette Baïz’s desire to develop an increasingly advanced technique by broadening the dancers’ training to include other techniques and classical dance. These young dancers were quickly recognised as the bearers of a new choreographic style: the Grenade style, a symbol of energy, fusion and openness to the world.

Currently

Today, Groupe Grenade is made up of around fifty children and teenagers aged between 7 and 18. Le Groupe Grenade’s work opened up to other choreographic horizons when it performed two ballets by Jean-Claude Gallotta: ‘3 Générations’ in 2003 and ‘Ulysse’ in 2007.
These same teenagers are responsible for passing on their knowledge to newly arrived young dancers.
When they come of age, Josette offers certain dancers who combine technique, quality and commitment the chance to gradually join the professional company. Others choose to perfect their training at national dance schools (Conservatoire de Lyon, CNDC d’Angers, Epsedanse / Anne-Marie Porras…).
This experience is unique in France, and the GROUPE GRENADE has been successfully received throughout France and abroad. Today, its aim is to become a genuine choreographic centre for young people.