FRANÇOIS CHAIGNAUD
View the list of upcoming tour dates below
Born in Rennes, François Chaignaud studied dance from the age of six. He earned a diploma in 2003 from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Danse de Paris, collaborating soon after with several choreographers, notably Boris Charmatz, Emmanuelle Huynh, Alain Buffard, and Gilles Jobin. From He’s One that Goes to Sea for Nothing but to Make him sick (2004) to Думи мої (2013), he has created performances in which dance and singing intersect, in a wide variety of environments and at the meeting points of many inspirations. From this tension, the possibility of a body takes shape, inhabiting the space between the sensual rigour of movement, the evocative power of singing, and the convergence of heterogeneous historical references — from erotic literature (Aussi Bien Que Ton Cœur Ouvre Moi Les Genoux, 2008) to sacred art. Also historian, François Chaignaud published L’Affaire Berger-Levrault: le féminisme à l’épreuve (1898-1905) with PUR. His curiosity for history has driven him to initiate various collaborations, notably with legendary drag queen Rumi Missabu of the Cockettes, cabaret performer Jérôme Marin (Sous l’ombrelle, 2011), artist Marie Caroline Hominal (Duchesses, 2009), fashion designers Romain Brau and Charlie Le Mindu, visual artist Théo Mercier, photographer Donatien Veismann and videast Cesar Vayssié. Chaignaud has been commissioned to create a film installation for 24 FRAMES per second in CarriageWorks Sydney.
In collaboration with artist Nino Laisné, he has created a piece entitled Romances inciertos: un autre Orlando, bringing together four instrumentalists around various ambiguous motifs of genre from the choreographic and vocal Iberian repertoire. The piece has been shown as part of the 2018 programme of the festival d’Avignon. In 2018 François Chaignaud also choreographed Soufflette, a piece for the Carte Blanche Ballet (Norway) in collaboration with Romain Brau premiered in May in Studio Bergen.
His latest creation Symphonia Harmoniæ Cælesitum Revelationum is a research on the Antique Christian song repertoire as well as Hildegard Von Bingen conceived in collaboration with Marie-Pierre Brébant. The show premiered in May 2019 at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels. His upcoming projects include collaborations with notably: Akaji Maro, Dominique Brun and Les Siècles orchestra and a new collaboration with Geoffroy Jourdain and vocal ensemble Les Cris de Paris.
Upcoming tour dates François Chaignaud
January 2024
12 Romances Inciertos (François Chaignaud & Nina Laisné) – Théâtre Graslin, Nantes (FR)
13 Romances Inciertos (François Chaignaud & Nina Laisné) – Théâtre Graslin, Nantes (FR)
18 t u m u l u s (François Chaignaud & Geoffroy Jourdain) – Maison de la Danse, Lyon (FR)
19 t u m u l u s (François Chaignaud & Geoffroy Jourdain) – Maison de la Danse, Lyon (FR)
20 t u m u l u s (François Chaignaud & Geoffroy Jourdain) – Maison de la Danse, Lyon (FR) + cosmologie + Le cabaret de tumulus
25 t u m u l u s (François Chaignaud & Geoffroy Jourdain) – Manège de Reims, Reims (FR)
26 t u m u l u s (François Chaignaud & Geoffroy Jourdain) – Manège de Reims, Reims (FR)
29 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse (FR)
30 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse (FR)
February 2024
9 François Chaignaud takes part in Cabaret Le Secret, Paris (FR)
10 François Chaignaud takes part in Cabaret Le Secret, Paris (FR)
29 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – ADC / Pavillon de la Danse, Geneva (CH)
March 2024
1 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – ADC / Pavillon de la Danse, Geneva (CH)
2 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – ADC / Pavillon de la Danse, Geneva (CH)
5 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – Triennale Milano, Milan (IT)
6 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – Triennale Milano, Milan (IT)
13 François Chaignaud takes part in cabaret K.Und by Jérôme Marin – Granit, Belfort (FR)
14 François Chaignaud takes part in cabaret K.Und by Jérôme Marin Les Dominicains de Haute-Alsace, Guebwiller (FR)
15 Duchesses (François Chaignaud & Marie-Caroline Hominal) – La Ménagerie de verre (FR)
16 Duchesses (François Chaignaud & Marie-Caroline Hominal) – La Ménagerie de verre (FR)
21 Aussi bien que ton cœur, ouvre-moi les genoux (François Chaignaud) – La Coursive, La Rochelle (FR)
22 Aussi bien que ton cœur, ouvre-moi les genoux (François Chaignaud) – La Coursive, La Rochelle (FR)
23 Aussi bien que ton cœur, ouvre-moi les genoux (François Chaignaud) – La Coursive, La Rochelle (FR)
26 Dumy Moyi – Espace Pasolini, Valenciennes (FR)
27 Dumy Moyi – Espace Pasolini, Valenciennes (FR)
April 2024
11 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – Bonlieu Scène Nationale Annecy, Annecy (FR)
12 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – Bonlieu Scène Nationale Annecy, Annecy (FR)
13 Mirlitons (François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux) – Bonlieu Scène Nationale Annecy, Annecy (FR)
Photo: Erwan Fichou