For more than 20 years (26 precisely…), Lyon is queen of the dance. In 1980, it was really a challenge to dare! To impose an entire theatre, reserved for dance, breaking away from the ‘chignons’ and tutus of traditional repertory and the rolling on the ground of contemporary dance.

Guy Darmet did it and the Maison de la Danse in Lyon was thus the very first in the world before New York. He is still the manager and artistic director of the Biennial. Since 1984, the first Dance Biennial opened the way to lots of possibilities and attracted to Lyon a public very quickly conquered, with a festive dimension in the streets of the city, and a large procession which makes the city dance.

This great Dance festival has also launched the fashion for great theme balls, such as The Beauty and the Beast (in 2004 during the last edition to date) and there, one will have been able to admire the sumptuous costumes. For this occasion, Dance used the Lyon University of Fashion and all the up and coming young designers in the city.

This year, it is Bollywood which has been chosen as the theme for the ball. It will take place at the Transbordeur. With Bengal Lancers, Indian hosts and hostesses, perfumes of roses and incense, to celebrate Indian cinema, which has started to be exported, including shootings (two of them already took place in Lyon).

Frenzy is on stage, The most famous companies will be there. Such as: the National Company of Madrid, who will occupy the Amphithèâtre de la Citè internationale , Kim Itoh, young choreographer and main figure of Japanese dance, the Argentine Company: Union Taguera, the New York Company, run by the young choreographer from Bordeaux, Benjamin Millepied. To mention only those, knowing that no dancer or choreographer could succeed without passing through Lyon, and that those who are not there, dream of being invited one day…

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