Setting the elements alight

Fire is a firm fixture of event culture in France. Flames can be seen blazing under the feet of tango dancers and at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Groupe F and Compagnie Bilbobasso are among the ensembles offering pyrotechnic driven effects that have cornered a lucrative market with their highly specialist know-how. Their spectrum of products ranges from gigantic pyrotechnic galas to fiery settings for solo dances.

Every year on 14 July, France’s national holiday, the night sky above the Eiffel Tower is illuminated by masterfully designed and orchestrated bouquets of coloured fire. The artists behind it are the world-renowned Groupe F. With their specialist knowledge and incomparable creativity, the troupe is among those cementing France’s position as global leaders in the world of pyrotechnics. And the French national holiday fireworks are a major public event. They have taken the place of the baroque fountain show in Versailles, which is now held mainly for tourists.
Founded in 1990, Groupe F now organizes spectacular pyrotechnic events all over the world, inaugurating buildings, opening Olympic Games, and marking national holidays.  It has grown to become an international corporation, whose products span the pyrotechnical range, from monumental fire and light shows to smaller formats integrating dancers and actors. Meanwhile, with the festival scene expanding and demand for special events in the public arena growing, another, equally sophisticated and specialized, branch of pyrotechnics has emerged. It works with open fire, on the ground and in dialogue with urban architecture. Of the many companies specializing in this field, three stand out: Carabosse, La Salamandre and Bilbobasso.
Carabosse marks the low-tech end of the pyrotechnical scale, without any rockets, computer ignition or powder blends: nothing but fire cauldrons, iron and installation art. Its fires blaze through the night, inviting the public to stroll through streets lined with flaming trees, or lit with balls or gates of fire. It is unashamedly romantic and turns the city itself into a mise-en-scène.

Flowing flames
Although a lot of technical finesse goes into pieces by La Salamandre and Bilbobasso, the technology is not an overt part of the attraction but kept hidden in the flames. These companies emerged from the circus scene, where they experimented with using fire in different ways. Eventually, they developed completely new techniques, such as using watering cans to pour fire on the ground like liquid. At the opening celebrations for the 2004 Olympic Games, the Olympic rings were made to flow through the stadium. La Salamandre also integrate fire into costumes, creating flaming fingers and fans like those of jugglers and fire-breathers.

Fire under foot
Hervé Perrin and Delphine Dartus met while they were both members of La Salamandre. In 2006, they founded their own company, Bilbobasso, to develop a new and unique production concept: Argentinian tango in fiery settings. Between 2006 and 2014, they created three pieces, all frontal stage configurations, completing “Le bal des anges” in 2014. This piece, in which the musicians participate as performers, marks the largest and most complex scenography by Bilbobasso to date. Once again, it is about love, passion and jealousy, and set somewhere between the here-and-now and the great beyond. In it, the ground literally burns beneath the dancers’ feet, flames blaze on the ladies’ hats and performers exchange kisses through torches. Bilbobasso productions work with liquid fuels. “We only use mineral oil products,” says Perrin. “But that includes heating oil, petrol and other fuels, so we can create different kinds of effects. The most important thing to consider is the fire point of the liquids. If you stick a match into heating oil, it goes out. Because we play with the fire point, we have to warm up some products in advance.”

Safety regulations? More risks!
Even open-air productions pose safety risks, such as costumes catching fire. The artists wear costumes made of lightly treated, thick cotton, in which they can have flame contact for five to ten seconds without getting burned. The surface area is covered with a layer of sand, roughly one centimetre deep, which also forms part of the scenography. So far, France has few regulations concerning pyrotechnics. This can cause difficulties when companies work outside France, and are forced to use unfamiliar products to observe foreign regulations, for instance. Sometime in the future, comprehensive European regulations will no doubt be devised and issued. But individual caution and personal experience will always remain the most important guides.