Program Black Box
THOUSAND is based on THOUSAND PLATEAUS by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. The dynamic way in which they expressed their thoughts created a powerful call to which the body responded with unbridled curiosity and vitality. Exploring systems of repetition and divergence, THOUSAND unfolds with no hierarchy but with a great deal of insistence, utilizing multiple materials that challenge our capacity for accepting metamorphosis and undiscovered freedom. What conditions and sacrifices allow us to reach those coveted ideals?
Following the curves, foldings and extravagance of the baroque style, this solo piece has its own rules of expression. The subject is not the performer but rather his unexpected and untamed behavior in and of itself. The inner rhythms, the endless potential directions, the unbounded mechanisms of fluidity and creativity — these are the real subjects. The place where instinct stands as a counterpoint to logic and creates new codes is where the piece defines its interpretation of resistance and naturalness.
- Concept, costume design, performance: Harris Gkekas
- Set & lighting design: Gabriel F & Joëlle Dangeard
- Live music & sound design: Didier Ambact
- Recorded music: Keith Jarrett, Harris Gkekas
- Production: Strates
- Co-production: Pôle Sud — Centre de Développement Chorégraphique National-Strasbourg, Les Subsistances Laboratoire International de Création Artistique — Lyon, KLAP Maison Pour la Danse — Marseille
- With the support of: La Drac Auvergne Rhône Alpes
- Accompanied by: Le Réseau Grand Luxe
- With thanks to: CND à Lyon
- Photography: Strates
HARRIS GKEKAS
Originally from Litochoro, Mount Olympus, Harris began his early training with Giannis Seitanidis and Tania Miltenova. At the age of 13, he joined Daniel Lommel in France with the support of the Onassis Foundation. The AEANAON Ballet Theater and Jeune Ballet International in Cannes provided him with his first professional experiences. Since then, Harris Gkekas has been a versatile soloist for companies such as Ballet du Rhin, Ballet de Genève, and Ballet de Lyon, in performances of the greatest dance works around the world. In 2014, he created his own company, STRATES, with his pieces gracing major theaters and festivals across France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, and Greece. He has been commissioned to create works for institutions including the Ballet de l’Opéra du Rhin, the Conservatoire Supérieur de Lyon (twice), the Greek National Opera (Company & School), and the Greek National School of Dance. Additionally, Harris Gkekas continues to collaborate with other choreographers such as Christian Rizzo, Catherine Diverrès, Fabrice Lambert, Théo Mercier, Michèle Noiret, Hervé Robbe, and Yves Nöel Genod.