MIRAGE

Presentation

Inspired by the phenomenon of mirages and fata Morgana - optical illusions linked to specific weather conditions, caused by a distortion of light as it passes through layers of air of different temperatures - Damien Jalet and Kohei Nawa depict a humanity in search of itself, wandering through a metaphorical desert.Through a series of unpredictable transformations, inspired by various mythologies, climatology botany and entomology, as well as Hayagawari, a kabuki technique in which the actors are transformed suddenly during a performance, the piece peels back layer upon layer of performers, exploring an infinite variety of physical and emotional states. At times evoking the spectres of a civilization on the edge of a dry well, at others traversed by the sensuality and dazzling colors of tropical nature, Mirage is like a waking dream, fluctuating and moving, like atmospheric phenomena. With this new creation, Damien Jalet and Kohei Nawa - accompanied by dancers from the ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, of which Jalet is associate artist - propose a hallucinatory, sensual, meditative quest of the human essence, beyond the veil of appearances.

Artistic Team

Choreography : Damien Jalet; Set design : Kohei Nawa; Music : Thomas Bangalter; Dancers : 18 dancers from the Geneva Ballet. With MIRAGE, Damien Jalet presents his very first work for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre, of which he has been associate artist since 2022. MIRAGE is also the fourth chapter in his 10 years collaboration with Japanese visual artist Kohei Nawa. After VESSEL (2016), Planet Wanderer (2021) and MIST (2022), they continue their exploration of the ever-changing nature of living things, fusing their respective disciplines and confronting the human body with different materials.

Co-producing Partners