Welcome to paradise

They were the men and women of sand, of wind, of light, of night. They had appeared, as in a dream, atop a dune, as if born from the cloudless sky, carrying in their limbs the hardness of space itself.

With Welcome to Paradise, Joëlle Bouvier and Régis Obadia left a lasting mark on contemporary dance in the 1980s. In just 50 minutes—no more, no less—they deliver a duet of remarkable maturity. While the roots of the two choreographers and performers lie in Italian neorealist cinema, other references emerge, particularly in the soundtrack, which draws from Samuel Fuller’s films or Marilyn Monroe’s rendition of I Love to Be Loved by You. Yet more than a reference, cinema here becomes choreographic material: the design of the soundtrack, the lighting, the sequencing of scenes, and the play of effects all contribute to shaping a filmic choreography.

Devoid of set design, with only a bouquet of flowers and a rope—sometimes a swing, sometimes a noose—the two dancers unfold the full spectrum of emotions a couple endures: tenderness, sorrow, desire, ecstasy, submission, escape.

Source: Maison de la danse