In virus-hit eastern France, masked dancers get back to work
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Monday, October 14, 2024


In virus-hit eastern France, masked dancers get back to work
A dancer of the Ballet du Rhin wears a protective face mask during a training session in Mulhouse, eastern France, on May 19, 2020. The dancers of the Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin are among the first in France to have resumed training, under very strict conditions, forcing them to coordinate breath and mask. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP.

by Marie Julien



MULHOUSE (AFP).- In Mulhouse in eastern France, particularly hard hit by the coronavirus, professional dancers are getting back to work, practising pirouettes in their long-abandoned studio -- but no pas-de-deux.

With an easing of France's strict coronavirus lockdown last week after two months of home confinement, the ballet performers of the Opera National du Rhin must observe strict infection-busting measures, which include no contact or dancing in pairs.

They have their temperatures taken upon arrival, leave their shoes outside and must enter in full ballet attire -- plus face mask -- as the dressing rooms are off limits.

Once inside, black tape on the ground delineates a spot for each dancer, allowing them to keep a safe distance of 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) as they gracefully go through their paces to piano accompaniment.

Every time the dancers touch something -- their mask, the barre or their water bottle -- they are required to disinfect their hands.

Dancer Pierre Doncq, 33, says he has stopped drinking water during practice.

"I find it stressful to have to clean my hands each time, to remove my mask and all that. I prefer to concentrate on what the instructor says," he told AFP.

Between two sessions, Doncq had to replace his mask which had become humid from all the heavy breathing.

'One can adapt'
He complains that the piece of cloth makes him feel suffocated and hampers his vision.

"But honestly, one can adapt," said the dancer, insisting he was pleased to be back at work.

The Opera du Rhin in Mulhouse is one of the first in France to resume training after lockdown, and is producing its own masks for its ballet company.

"It is complicated to dance with a mask," said Bruno Bouche, the troupe's artistic director, adding this was "the biggest challenge" in resuming training.

Mulhouse, near the Swiss and German borders, was one of the first hotspots of coronavirus infection in France, and remains in the high-alert "red zone" of domestic virus circulation.

Many French cases, some of which were exported as far away as South America, originated from a week-long church gathering in the city in February, attended by some 2,000 people.

Soldiers had to set up a military field hospital in Mulhouse to relieve overwhelmed hospitals and evacuated patients to other parts of the country.

After their first post-lockdown practice, the dancers leave immediately, alone. No dressing room chatter, no shower.

The studio is disinfected from top to bottom between three daily lessons which last an hour each, far shorter than the six or seven hours the dancers were accustomed to before confinement kicked in.

But the performers are grateful for even this hour, afraid of losing their form.

"Dancing is our life and holding on to a chair or to a wardrobe (to practice) for eight weeks was getting more and more complicated," said Bouche, who offered courses online during confinement.

The dancers hope their first post-lockdown performance will be "Chaplin" by German choreographer Mario Schroeder on September 5.


© Agence France-Presse










Today's News

May 20, 2020

Researchers find ancient rooms under Jerusalem's Western Wall

$1.6 million still life by Giorgio Morandi marks new record price for any work offered in an online sale at Sotheby's

U.S. art galleries project 73% loss in Q2 revenue due to COVID-19 developments

Auschwitz renovation uncovers objects hidden by prisoners

Beate Wheeler: 1970s transition from mark making to color painting featured at David Richard Gallery

Powerful portrait of Ursula von Rydingsvard to have NYC premiere in Film Forum's Virtual Cinema

Iconic Warhols & fresh-to-market works by blue chip artists achieve over 1 million at Freeman's

Swann ushers in a new era of live online sales with Printed & Manuscript African Americana

Auction dedicated to solo collection attracts record audiences

Walker Art Center commissions new artwork in the form of an urban farm

Manifesta 13 Marseille due to start at the end of August 2020

Robert Berry Gallery announces Impressionable, new show from Chicago artist John Ruby

David Gill Gallery presents a new body of work by Mattia Bonetti

National Museum of Women in the Arts wins Webby Award

Independent Curators International announces board expansion at critical time in the art world

Daylight Books publishes 'Silent Stages' by Ken Dreyfack

Pollock-Krasner Foundation announces nearly $3 million in grants & awards

Magazzino to adopt new social distancing technology upon reopening

Street art confronts the pandemic

Vienna Philharmonic says no increased virus risk for orchestras

Museum of Graffiti re-opens with new offerings

In virus-hit eastern France, masked dancers get back to work

Yu Lihua, 90, dies; writer spoke to 'rootless' Chinese émigrés

Photographic artist Hans Withoos exhibits in Holland

Vincent Van Gogh Becomes a Drive-In Star

Six Things You Need Know About Hiring a Vehicle Accident Attorney

Get your hands-on Division 2 boost right now

Habit and Perception in Road Traffic Accidents

8 Wedding Video Invitation Ideas For Couples

How To Make Your Garden Look Nice With Budget

3 Downloaders You Can Use To Download Music From Youtube

A socially distant Las Vegas? What are the odds?




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful