Opening: “FLY” about Nijinsky

The dance-film performance “FLY” by the choreographer and filmmaker Sidney Leoni introduces us to the legendary Russian dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (1888–1950) who was a phenomenal success in Paris with the Ballets Russes in the early 20th century. A decade later, Nijinsky wrote a diary with texts that reveal the early onset of psychosis, which eventually developed into schizophrenia:

I understood that our whole life was degeneration. I realised that people did not think about what they were doing. I know that the Earth is degenerating. She lacks air. On Earth today, it's hell.

The performance takes place on screen and on stage simultaneously, blending bodies, art forms, time and space. The events projected on the film screen serve both as a backdrop and partners for the dancers moving on the stage floor.

“FLY” takes the audience on a spiritual and timeless quest in a transcendental and experimental way. Here, fact and fiction merge, and artists – living and dead – gather to remind the planet and humanity of what we need most of all: Love.

About the participants

Sidney Leoni work as a choreographer, dancer and filmmaker between Sweden, Belgium and France. His multidisciplinary stage and film projects explore the field of the ‘immersive’ and the ‘experiential’, in which he puts particular interest in the potential of sensory and imaginary perception of the audience. In his last two performance projects “Undertone” (2010) and “Hertz” (2013), the theatre space was plunged in complete darkness as he sees darkness as a different kind of sociability and sensibility between humans. Leoni’s latest fiction feature film, entitled Under Influence (premiär på Dansens Hus 2016), starring Halla Ólafsdóttir and Christine de Smedt, portrays the mysterious and psychotic journey of an actress during the shooting of a motion picture. In 2008-2009, Sidney took part in the master’s programme Research in Choreography at DOCH in Stockholm and in 2002- 2006 he followed the bachelor’s and master’s programme Research in Dance at the Sophia Antipolis University in Nice. Before that, Sidney trained as a ballet dancer at the Toulon Opera in France.

Halla Ólafsdóttir is an Icelandic artist, dancer and choreographer based in Stockholm. Halla works in various feminist constellations and collaborations with an interest in expanding the notion of dance and choreography. Her stage work is concerned with methods of reinterpretation of recognizable formats of representation, facilitating a shared experience. She co-curated the Reykjavík Dance Festival: A Series of Event 2012 where 30 artist were invited to partake in a 10 day festival in Iceland and played the lead role in the feature film ‘Under Influence’ by Sidney Leoni, premiered at Dansens Hus, 2016. She has worked collectively with choreographers such as Zoe Poluch, Stina Nyberg, Nadja Hjorton and Amanda Apetrea, together constituting SAMLINGEN.

Elias Girod is a dance artist currently based in Helsinki. He works in several pieces of Mette Ingvartsen and in the productions of the Weld Company in Stockholm. He is also a member of the Precarious Practices artist group. In 2020 he prepared a new work ‘Mouthpiece’ together with Lauri Supponen and Linda Martikainen, and dancing in Veli Lehtovaara’s ‘Forest Project’. Elias has graduated from the Finnish National Ballet School and has a Bachelor in Dance Performance from DOCH 2013.

Sophie Augot is based in Stockholm and has been working as a freelance dancer since 2004. She has moved in a variety of work constellations and contexts, in the performing arts field. Sophie has worked closely with choreographer Björn Säfsten since 2006 and will perform in new piece Lost night at MDT in may 2022. Other collaborations include choreographers and directors such as Cristina Caprioli, Martin Forsberg, Stina Nyberg, Kenneth Kvarnström, Alexander Gottfarb, Joanna Nordahl, Örjan Andersson, Efva LIlja, Isak Hjelmskog, Anna Källblad, Isabel Cruz Liljegren and Mari Carrasco. She is also working as an actress, most recently in Antigone directed by Örjan Andersson

Concept, direction and choreography: Sidney Leoni
Cast for live performance: Elias Girod, Halla Ólafsdóttir, Sophie Augot & Sidney Leoni
Costume designers: Jennifer Defays and Rachel Lesteven
Lighting design for live performance: Tim Wouters & Anton Andersson
Film cast (in alphabetical order): Alain Siebert, Alexandra Cismondi, Andros Zins-Browne, Aurélia Bézia, Aurélia Guinta, Christina Vantzou, Christine De Smedt, Eleanor Bauer, Elias Girod, Emilio Tomé, Estelle Gautier, Fabrice Pio, Guillem Mont De Palol, Halla Ólafsdóttir, Jaime Llopis, Manon Santkin, Marco Herløv Høst, Mette Ingvartsen, Mikko Hyvönen, Miriam Balloussa, Olivier Valkeners, Sidney Leoni, Stav Yeini, Xenia Ingvartsen Charmatz & Zoë Poluch
Narrated by: Caroline Donnelly, Caroline Mozzone, Descha Daemgen & Clive Mitchell
Cinematography: Artur Castro Freire
Original music score: Yoann Durant & Sidney Leoni
Makeup: Valko
Management & Administration: Caravan Production (Brussels, BE)
Administration: The Artist Cooperative Interim Kultur (Stockholm, SE) & Plate-Forme POLY (Paris, FR)