Dominique Petit

The dancer, choreographer and teacher Dominique Petit, born in France in 1950, discovered dance at nineteen with Kilina Crémona. He left to train in New York from 1970 to 1974 where he met the choreographer Paul Sanasardo, who taught him the technique of American “modern dance” and included him as a dancer in his company. Back in France, Dominique Petit will complete his training with Carolyn Carlson. She was then in the process of setting up the GRTOP (Theatrical Research Group of the Paris Opera) and hired the young dancer into the troupe. He thus participated in all the group’s creations from 1975 to 1980. He drew in particular from this experience “the discovery and deepening of the work of improvisation and choreographic composition” (see the biography written by Nadine Raso present in the collection at PETI rating 98).

Dominique Petit created a first solo in 1979, “Variations”, at an invitation from the Ballet de Poche (Grenoble), then, after the dissolution of GRTOP in 1980 (Carolyn Carlson left for Venice), he multiplied collaborations and worked with Caroline Marcadé (he co-directs with her the Studio des quatre temps in La Défense and performs for example with her the duo “Pierre Robert”), Régine Chopinot and even François Verret. 

He also founded his own company at the end of 1980, within which he created around twenty pieces including a first solo, “Igor Urstark” (creation at the Avignon Festival in 1981), accompanied by Barre Phillips (who would also collaborate on the following piece “Amarante flagrante radio show” in 1981). Other musical collaborations will follow, notably with saxophonist Steve Lacy and composer Denis Levaillant. Above all, he collaborates in a privileged way with his partner, the dancer and choreographer Anne Carrié, the company alternating the creations of one and the other. They co-wrote certain pieces such as their duet “Jade” (1984) which brought them real recognition. Dominique Petit’s play for six male performers entitled “Les Tournesols”, created in 1988, enjoyed international success and led to a film adaptation by Claude Val in 1991.

The company tours extensively in France and abroad, notably in more than fifteen Latin American countries, whose culture will inspire the latest pieces created by the choreographer, such as his solo “A Portabales” created in 1995, on the music of the Cuban singer of the same name, or “Salsita” (1996), a piece choreographed to salsa rhythms.

From 1996, Dominique Petit devoted himself entirely to teaching, becoming study coordinator and repertory tutor for the CNDC in Angers until 2000. This educational activity is far from being new for the dancer: already a permanent teacher at the CNDC in Angers between 1984 and 1987, he obtained the diploma of the certificate of aptitude for the functions of dance teacher in 1989. He then set up a continuing education program for dancers from 1994 to 1997 in partnership with the ARCAMC des Pays-de-Loire, the CNDC L’Esquisse and the Scène nationale du Manège (La Roche-sur-Yon). Among many other educational experiences, Dominique Petit was appointed by the Ministry of Culture for educational missions in Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Finally he was appointed professor of contemporary dance at ENMDAD in La Roche-sur-Yon in 2000 and taught there until 2015.

Dominique Petit is also in demand as a performer, dancing for example in 2000 for Régis Obadia or in 2009 for Daniel Dobbels, until 2019 when he plays an important role in “Outwitting the Devil” by Akram Khan.

In March 2020, in full confinement of the population following the Covid-19 epidemic, he created a filmed choreographic piece entitled “La der’ des der’”, a solo inspired by the words of the President of the Republic announcing the “ war” against the coronavirus.

Source : Centre national de la danse