Christian Rizzo  / ICI—CCN Montpellier
le syndrome ian 

Minimal gestures, maximum impact for a rejuvenating experience in the Opéra Comédie. The melancholy inherent in le syndrome ian, with its gorgeous finale showing a forsaken performer – is the only reminder of the threat of our time. —Philippe Noisette, Les Echos

le syndrome ian donne ainsi à voir l’abandon des corps et le plaisir de danser ressenti par chacun. La souplesse des mouvements tend ici à être soulignée. La pièce est pleine de retenue, de combinaisons maîtrisées, avant de s’accélérer. Ce changement de rythme voit alors les danseurs perdre tout contrôle et fait voler en éclats la communion initiale.—The Paris art

By creating a choreographic, and even social memory, Christian Rizzo awakens the memory of a particular night at the end of the 1970s and restores the magic that, paradoxically, only works in nightclubs, where dancing alone brings people together. —Géraldine Pigault, magmaa.fr

le syndrome ian

le syndrome ian - the last of three pieces investigating anonymous dance practices facing the notion of authorship - explores clubbing and nightlife memories. This time Christian Rizzo takes on a personal recollection. The year was 1979, and his first club experience in London. As the planet vibrates to the sound of disco, its followers move in undulating, haunting dance movements. England sees the emergence of a dark, poetic dance set to the rhythm of electric, angular, jerking bodies. Halfway between isolation and community, what traces of these (possibly) contradictory bodies are left today as we still try, whatever happens, to dance among the ruins of a night that is forever lost?  

le syndrome ian brings together nine dancers as part of a collective vibration where the tempo is divided between the physicality of sub-bass sounds and the melodic wailing echoing Ian Curtis’ poetry. This production was awarded the prestigious Fedora - Van Cleef & Arpels Prize for Ballet 2015.

Creative Team

Christian Rizzo, Choreographer  

Christian Rizzo started a rock band and established a line of clothing in Toulouse, France before studying visual arts at Villa Arson in Nice. Serendipitous encounters led him to the stage.

In the 1990s, he performed with numerous contemporary choreographers and created soundtracks and costumes. Since 1996, he has presented over 30 productions, including performances and dance pieces, alternating with projects or commissions for opera, fashion and the visual arts. He teaches in art schools in France and abroad, as well as in institutions dedicated to contemporary dance.

In January 2015, Rizzo took over as Director of the Centre Chorégraphique National de Montpellier,
which has been renamed ICI (International Choreographic Institute). In this capacity, he supports a vision of creation, training, artistic education and openness to the public.

Choreography, Stage Design, Costume Design, Light Objects / Christian Rizzo

Dancers / Miguel Garcia Llorens, Pep Garrigues, Kerem Gelebek, Julie Guibert, Hanna Hedman,

               Filipe Lourenco, Maya Masse, Antoine Roux-Briffaud, Vania Vaneau

Light Design / Caty Olive

Original Music / Pénélope Michel and Nicolas Devos (Cercueil / Puce Moment)

Artistic Assistant / Sophie Laly

Costume Realization /  Laurence Alquier

Technical Direction /  Thierry Cabrera

Coproduction: Opéra de Lille, Festival Montpellier Danse 2016, Théâtre de la Ville - Paris, National Taichung Theater (Taiwan), Biennale de la danse de Lyon 2016, Centre de Développement Chorégraphique Toulouse / Midi-Pyrénées, le lieu unique - scène nationale de Nantes, TU-Nantes - scène de recherche et de création contemporaine, La Bâtie - Festival de Genève (Swiss)

le syndrome ian is winner of the FEDORA - Van Cleef & Arpels Prize for Ballet 2015.

le syndrome ian has benefited from the provision of the CN D studios, an Art centre dedicated to dance

This performance is supported by Institut Français – PARIS.