The Master of Ceremonies

Freaks and fairies; water, earth or airborne man-beasts; woolly cave men and camp Adonises people are inhabiting the superbly visual, dark, endearing and sweetly magical world of “Tricodex” (see ballet-tanz 05/04). Set to bold, brassy contemporary circus music, it is decorative and playful in the last of Philippe Decouflé‘s exuberant trilogy of works based upon the fantastical encyclopaedia of mythical life forms by Italian artist and naturalist Luigi Serafini.

Decouflé (born 1961) brings the improbable creatures absurdly and good-naturedly to life with an array of wacky costumes and a lyrical rhythmicality of grace and humour, also gently exploring a dark, mechanistic sensuality alongside the glowing, flowing, silly and sensational beings.
This refined rhythm, mounting progression of group dances and delightful, continuously teasing and unexpected formations are Decouflé‘s great skills, and what make him the man for large scale spectacular choreography such as the opening and closing ­shows for the Winter Olympics in Albertville 1992 and the upcoming opening gala of the FIFA World Cup in Berlin, June 7. Decouflé entertains, with unpredictable spatial games and story-book sparkle. ...