After the creation of several pieces in which the accent was on the set design, Philippe Saire is back this time with a bare stage on which the bodies are the principle vectors. Between the physical and the fantastic, «Actéon» takes up the eponymous Greek myth of the hunter changed into a deer by the goddess Diana and torn to shreds by his own dogs. With a central focus on the dancers’ movement and interpretation, the piece takes place in the fascinating, strange and controversial world of hunting. The myth of Actéon as adapted for this piece uses allegory to question our relationship with savagery and utopian ideals of nature. To the sounds of bodies in action, the noises and rustling of the forest and the hunt, Philippe Saire re-examines questions of transgression and metamorphosis and pushes the limits of the «pact» we make with the stage to suspend our disbelief.

As the sole artist sitting on the jury, Philippe Saire will have the opportunity to present one of his own works during the Swiss Dance Days.