Wakan* – Un Souffle is a danced prayer, a fusion of spiritual quest and physical prowess. Inspired by sacred dances from around the world, it explores trembling, balance, flexibility, and extremes. Body and music merge into a vibrant ritual, carried by cymbals, gongs, and mesmerizing rhythms. The movement oscillates between serenity and explosive anger, invoking energy, fervor, and transcendence. To touch the divine is also to push boundaries: here, virtuosity and intensity become ritual, seeking to reach the invisible and soothe our souls—perhaps even the world's anger.
*Sacred in Teton Lakota Sioux
Nathalie Pernette trained as a classical dancer from an early age and as a modern dancer with Françoise and Dominique Dupuy: this duality of influences is still visible in her creations today. She worked for 12 years with fellow choreographer Andréas Schmid before creating her own company, Compagnie Pernette in 2001 and settled in La Friche Artistique in Besançon (FR).
Showing a taste for experimentation and encounters, Nathalie Pernette and her team explore the potential and possibilities of various working spaces (indoor, outdoor and special locations). They also mix dance with other artistic disciplines such as visual arts and live music to create their unique and special touch.
Apart from producing and touring their works, the company develops actions to introduce people to contemporary dance.
The company performs in a variety of spaces in France and beyond, from dance sets (Théâtre de la Ville, Opéra Bastille, Théâtre de Chaillot and other theatre and dance venues…) to festivals (ZAT Montpellier, Viva cité, Scènes de rue, Chalon dans la rue, Coup de chauffe à Cognac…) and other rural or urban areas, indoor and outdoor.
This wide diffusion of their works aims at giving the chance to a wide diversity of people to get to know and like dance, by wiping out pre-made ideas and reluctances.
Choreographer
Nathalie Pernette
Dansers
Pierre Boileau-Sanchez, Lucien Brabec, Lou Dormois, Jessie-Lou Lamy-Chappuis, Anthony Michelet, Cloé Vaurillon
Music design
Franck Gervais
Light design
Caroline Nguyen
Costumes and make-up
Fabienne Desflèches ;
assisted by
Bérénice Rohrer-Missiaen, Jeanne Sens
Technical direction / sound
Stéphane Magnin
PRODUCTION
Association NA/compagnie Pernette
COPRODUCTIONS
Le Théâtre – Scène nationale de Mâcon / Les 2 Scènes – Scène nationale de Besançon / Viadanse - Centre Chorégraphique National de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Belfort / L’Arc – Scène nationale Le Creusot / MA – Scène nationale de Montbéliard / Conseil Général du Val d’Oise avec Le Moulin Fondu - CNAREP, Garges-lès-Gonesse / Le Lux – Scène nationale, Valence / La Coopérative De Rue et de Cirque / Le Cratère – Scène nationale, Alès / CNAREP Chalon dans la rue.
With the support of
Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication - Direction régionale des affaires culturelles de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, au titre de l’aide à la compagnie chorégraphique conventionnée et Atelier de Fabrique Artistique / Ville de Besançon / Conseil régional de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté / Conseil départemental du Doubs.
