Nafas - un souffle

Nafs is an Arabic term (نَفْس) that refers to a complex concept, often translated as ‘breath’, ‘breathing’, “self” or ‘soul’. It represents the individual's vital breath, their inner self, and plays a central role in understanding oneself, one's rhythm and one's actions.
Based on this concept, Élodie Doñaque invites students to explore the collective body, movement and ephemeral presence, placing performance within a sensitive dialogue between space, sound and imagination.

Élodie Doñaque: "The aim of this creation is to make students aware of the breath that animates them and to combine this primordial movement with their formidable technical abilities. Working on breath also means working on time, on the present moment, that fragile moment in which a circus artist deploys great strength to create an ephemeral gesture, but one that has the power to leave a mark on the audience, to leave an impression. Finally, it means mastering one's own rhythm, which is why the research work is done to music, in the presence of Simon Thierrée.

Simon Thierrée: "Music is present at every stage of the process; it helps with sensory exploration. This is the second time we have collaborated with Elodie, and the work is very intuitive: I listen to the physical instructions given to the students and try to translate them into music. Little by little, a composition emerges, onto which we can drape suggestions and colourings until we reach the final form. It's very “organic”!"