He imagined himself in a great business school, but his dreams took him elsewhere. At 15, Léo Merrien, originally from Betton (Ille-et-Vilaine) came across a video by an American choreographer. He sees her a thousand times , in his words. I had this need to dance. A lump in my stomach filled me, close to a feeling of love, ”says Léo Merrien. Very quickly, he swapped his judo lessons for break dancing, jazz and contemporary dance lessons. He joined the Bréquigny high school in Rennes, in a double course with the conservatory of Rennes.
His family, strangers in the middle, follows him timidly. The Bettonnais is trying to catch up. Sometimes I lied about my schedule to go to training,” he admits. His work force guided him to the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris four years ago. And in August 2023, he will join the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève.
A Swiss knife
From his beginnings in Paris, Léo Merrien took advantage of the cultural scene. Between two contemporary classes at the conservatory, he takes part in battles of hip hop. Over the course of the movements, he builds a style, at the crossroads of contemporary arts, hip-hop, jazz and classical. I’m versatile. My goal is to be able to adapt to whatever I am asked to do. , emphasizes Léo Merrien. Sensitive to this atypical profile, professionals contact him for external projects. This year, he notably collaborated with the singer Juliette Armanet and the luxury brand Fairmont.
A curiosity that pushes him to question his practice
I like to discover areas where I’m not comfortable, and let myself get lost in them, reveals Léo Merrien. These meetings allow him to question his practice. There are still a month or two, I was one of those dancers who hide behind the movement to avoid exposing themselves in front of the public. I stagnated. After several discussions, I wondered about how I could get involved emotionally , confides Léo Merrien. Through his past stories, real or fictitious, filled with love or hate, he integrates his emotions and surpasses himself. When you watch dance, you just see movement. But, in the mind of a dancer, a lot is happening.
Make dance and music converse
Recently, an internship with choreographer Akram Khan plunged him into the relationship between music and dance. Music puts me in a particular emotional state,” admits the young man. At the National Conservatory of Paris, the 120 dancers cohabit with more than 1,100 musicians. Léo Merrien takes advantage of this proximity to work with those who are on the other side of the dance.
There is a dialogue between music and dance. The two live separately, but they can come together at some point, he shares. At the Dinard International Music Festival, music and dance will converse over the four performances offered by Léo Merrien and violinist Marie-Astrid Hulot. A way of being receptive to the emotions transmitted by both the dancer and the musician.
Saturday July 15, 2023, at 3 p.m., Ecluse embankment, and at 6 p.m., on the terrace of the Emeria Hotel, 1, avenue du Château-Hébert in Dinard; Sunday, July 16, 2023, at 3 p.m., Écluse dyke, and at 5 p.m., in Port-Breton park.
In the event of changes due to the weather, the locations and times will be updated every day on the OFF festival website and social networks.
2023-07-15 20:56:52
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