Hi Giovanni, tell us a little about ‘Negare’ – what can audiences expect? 

‘NEGARE’ is a sensitive and intriguing dance piece about the journey of a character who perpetuates a need to observe himself, and to feel observed to expose his identity to the gaze of others. Exposing yourself in front of an audience takes courage, or sometimes simply creates a need to exist. In ‘NEGARE’, this body imposes itself seated on its throne surrounded by a golden carpet, quietly waiting with its carrot in hand for the arena to fill up so that it can finally exist and invite us into its intimate dialogue with itself and its search for identity. Sometimes absurd, sometimes touching, Alexandre invites us to discover him and his authenticity.

How does it feel to bring Negare to Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe as part of the Luxembourg selection supported by KulturLX?

I feel honoured and pleased to have been selected among Luxembourg’s artists to represent our country’s dance and choreographic performance culture. I’m delighted to share my work and my choreographic universe with a new audience that is vast, diverse, and international. I hope to offer them unique emotions through this singular solo.

You’ve been dancing and choreographing for a long time. How has it felt to explore and create ‘Negare’ as part of your ‘Le Tryptique dance project?

‘The Tryptique’ project was born out of a desire to develop an accessible format by creating a set of three dance parts that could be presented individually, or together, on the same evening. It consists of the solo “NEGARE”, which will be presented at this year’s Fringe festival; the duo “(di)SPERARE”; and the trio “CREDERE”. These three works explore the conditioning of the human need for belief. For me, this artistic trilogy came about at an important stage in my life, out of a desire to delve deeper into a vast and potentially infinite theme. That’s why it was necessary to break it down into three performances, taking us on journeys where the body expresses, through different states, the need to believe in the invisible in order to make it visible.

Each of these three works has a contrasting, diverse, and unique universe. Despite everything, a common thread unites them to harmonise these three singular universes. The creative process was an interesting choreographic challenge for me. It allowed me to explore different approaches for each of these three creations – notably that of NEGARE – where alongside the dancer Alexandre Lipaux, we ventured into the exploration of a bodily and theatrical expression, giving life to a unique character who unfolds his universe on a surprising journey while letting the body communicate.

Explain Z Art Dance to us – what do you do and why? 

Created in 2020, the Z Art Dance Company works to contribute to the development of artistic creation linked to the art of dance & choreography. Supported by the Company of the Luxembourgish Ministry of Culture, Z Art Dance develops work that explores diversity in dance – whether this be by form, space or public involvement. We place great importance on the human side in its artistic work, promoting artistic exchanges and collaborations which are an important part of the Company’s identity.

We place great importance on diversification, and our mission is to create works for a wide audience, whether young or informed. Convinced that movement is a human necessity, the multidisciplinary artistic approach that I bring to my work focuses on the trust of the body, guided through its inherent energy where images, motions, and emotions appear. My work explores the complexities of the human, identity and the authenticity of movement through the poetic into the absurdist, social, emotional, and temporal topics, materialising it in space, time, performance, and moments.

Finally, in three words, how would you describe ‘Negare’? 

Absurdity, emotions, illusion.