Franck Riester, Minister of Culture, in full agreement with Christophe Béchu, Mayor of Angers, Christelle Morançais, President of the Pays de la Loire Region, and Jean-Claude Van Dam, President of the Centre national de danse contemporaine of Angers, has approved the appointment of Noé Soulier to the management of the CNDC of Angers. He will take up his duties on July 1, 2020.
Noé Soulier studied at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse (CNSMD) in Paris, the École Nationale de Ballet du Canada, and PARTS – Brussels. He obtained a master’s degree in philosophy at the Sorbonne University (Paris IV) and participated in the residency program of the Palais de Tokyo: Le Pavillon. In 2010, he was the winner of the first prize of the competition Enlarged Dance, organized by the Théâtre de la Ville and the Musée de la Danse. Artist associated with the CND, Centre national de la danse à Pantin since 2014, and the CDCN Toulouse / Occitanie for the period 2016 – 2018, his creative approach is focused on the exploration of gesture.
His creative dynamic, in full development, explores choreography through multiple devices: Actions, movements and gestures (book), Movement on movement (performance), Removing, Deeds, The Waves (pieces) or Performing Art (choreographed exhibition), created at the Centre Pompidou. The dissemination of his works nationally and internationally enjoys a very good visibility with partners such as Chaillot – Théâtre national de la danse, the Festival d'Automne in Paris, the Biennale de la danse de Lyon, the Kaaitheater Brussels, the Tanzquartier Vienne, the Theatro Municipal do Porto…
From a classical training, he develops a choreographic writing that renews the approach of the movement, a vocabulary that he theorizes and which nourishes his reflection on teaching with a precise awareness of what must be an interpreter reconciling the requirement of technicality with openness to other dances, guidelines of the project for the CNDC of Angers. Teacher at the Conservatoires Superiors of Paris and Lyon, of the formation Extensions of the CDCN of Toulouse, of P.A.R.T.S. Brussels, of CALarts Los Angeles and of DOCH Stockholm, its pedagogical reflection crosses all the issues of higher education articulated with a strengthened international dimension.
Attentive to professional integration, he wants to develop the attractiveness of the CNDC school, emblematic institution of higher education essential to the French and international choreographic ecosystem. It proposes the reinforcement of partnerships, the establishment of strong moments in connection with the programming of the CNDC or the intervention of major pedagogues and choreographers in order to develop exchanges between professionals and students' work.
Noé Soulier’s project sets the conditions for a renewal of aesthetics and pedagogy co-built at the CNDC of Angers. It should make it possible to develop the registration of the institution both CCN and graduate school in the national and international landscape, to integrate it into the reflection of the Ministry of Culture on Higher Education in Dance and to propose a new master’s degree during the first mandate.
Noé Soulier wishes to invite artists and curators in a spirit of openness on the model of practices in plastic arts in order to diversify looks and aesthetics. The issues of mediation and the development of choreographic culture are also at the heart of his project. He wants to extend the notion of cultural democratization to the sensitive experience of dance more than just the idea of public conquest.
Noé Soulier’s project will succeed that of Robert Swinston, whom the Minister thanks for his contribution to the recognition of the CNDC and the deepening of ties with American choreographic culture.
The jury wishes to salute the quality of the applications and the commitment of the candidates who have all presented unique artistic and educational approaches.