Paseo Festival in Bayonne: “Uda” or when contemporary dance meets Vivaldi

The Ninika collective will perform at the Paseo festival in Bayonne, starting this Thursday, August 14. Ten minutes to waltz to the rhythm of Vivaldi

Two bodies standing, arms raised, heads held high. They gradually bend down, collapse. Until they fall to the ground. Slide across the parquet floor and intertwine. A cappella, the movements question. But when the first notes of music resonate, everything makes sense. It's Vivaldi's summer. "Uda" in Basque. And that's the name of the show that the Ninika collective has created for the Paseo festival.

From this scene, one might glimpse trees decaying in the summer heat. But everyone is free to interpret what they see. This choreography is the fruit of two subjectivities: that of Jeanne Rousseau and Iban Garat, 25 and 24 years old, both dance teachers at the Bayonne Conservatory.

When he listens to Vivaldi—"for ages"—Iban is transported to an electro festival, or to a picnic blanket in the shade of a tree. For Jeanne, a painting comes to mind: "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat.

Different energies: this is what characterizes their art. "We work a lot on contrast, we like to bring together things that have nothing to do with each other, to bring out their value," explains Jeanne. Especially since their influences are distinct. She has ten years of contemporary dance at the Conservatory under her belt. He discovered contemporary dance in high school. He first trained through Basque dance.

Arm in arm, little jumps that resemble mutxiko. Serious faces, fixed gazes. Did they influence each other? "Completely," they assure in unison. "Jumps weren't my thing at first," says one. "She taught me theatricality," admits the other.

A synchronicity that began several years ago. It was in Bordeaux, during their performing arts studies. Since then, they have been inseparable. Iban returned to his hometown. Jeanne left her Burgundy to come to Bayonne. Since 2023, they have been the Ninika collective.

"Uda" is their second show. A piece created in one week, especially for the Paseo festival. A "springboard" for their young collective still searching for its identity. "For this show, we don't think about the scenography, the costumes, or the promotion. Only the dance and the movements. Nothing else." And then, alongside their work as choreographers, they teach. When they're not at the conservatory, Jeanne and Iban lead workshops in schools. Activities in keeping with their credo: "making live art accessible."

Their project may be new, but they're not without ambition. Between two bourrées, they allow themselves to dream. One of their goals: to put on eco-responsible shows. "We think a lot about our ecological impact as artists," Iban admits.

For their first show, "Les Enfants Perdus," the costumes were made from fabric scraps, sewn by a neighbor who was a seamstress. And when they tour in a few years, they would like to avoid long journeys.

Why Ninika? "The bud" in Basque. A flower in the process of being created. With "Uda," the bud may be about to bloom.