Based in Aubervilliers, on the northern outskirts of Paris for twenty years now, the Zingaro equestrian theatre company has travelled wide and far. They created a new performance form where horse-riders and horses, traditional music and sophisticated images lead the dance. From the Cabarets Equestres in the early years to the more abstract and more sobre pieces recently, such as Éclipse (1997) with Korean musicians, Triptyk around the music of Stravinski and Pierre Boulez (2000) or Loungta, Les Chevaux de Vent, incorporating the low chants of Tibetan monks in 2003, Zingaro has delighted audiences from all over the world. In the same way as the productions mix the sacred and the profane, popular and high art, the troupe led by its founder, Bartabas, combines the prestige of a high level of technical prowess with the infinite poetry of journeys and imagination. Bartabas and Avignon have enjoyed a close relationship for more than 20 years: Cabarets Equestres I and II (1984-1987) in the Off, and Cabaret Equestre III (1989), Opéra Équestre (1991), Chimère (1994), Éclipse (1997) and Triptyk (2000) have all been performed at the Avignon Festival.
First and foremost a nomadic entity, the Zingaro Equestrian Theatre Company came about because of a certain state of mind. It keeps going with the help of its journeys, its' rapport with life, with the ephemeral, and the sense of freedom which keeps it alive and at the same time acts as its guide. It is that notion of freedom, and its risks that Bartabas, a poet-horseman, sought when he led his troupe into a new production influenced by the Tsiganes. Horses and rider-performers are literally carried away by two groups of Rumanian musicians, a fanfare of brass instruments from Moldavia and a string ensemble from Transylvania. The strong beat pounds within, then a looping movement, then flying into the air, until the mesmerized spectators become dizzy. The rapid pace of the gallop and the permanent movement of water which is a symbol of life for the Tsiganes, set the tone of the performance.
Joyful and perturbing, Battuta plays with prowess as well as speed and tells a story of time and memory harking back to the popular vein and the sense of festive-show of the troupe's beginnings. Like embers which glow with the breath of achievement.
Irène Filiberti
Distribution
conception, scénographie et mise en scène : Bartabas
Théâtre équestre Zingaro / Bartabas
avec les Cavaliers : Mathieu Bianchi, Manuel Bigarnet, Julie Blavier, Sarah Boulier, Damien Chauvet, Sébastien Desenne, Abderrahman El Bahjaoui, Ibdessadek El Bahjaoui, Michaël Gilbert, Benjamin Grain, Solenn Heinrich, Jonathan Lambert, Alice Seghier, Batraz Tsokolaev, Cédric Vallas, Messaoud Zeggane
la Fanfare Shukar de Moldavie : Costel Alexandru, Gheorghe Dumitru, Dumitru Gavril, Vasile Gavril, Constantin Pantiru, Costica Pantiru, David Pantiru, Janica Pantiru, Liviu Pantiru, Stefan Trifan
la Fanfare Taraf de Transylvanie : Francisc Balogh, Aladar Pusztai, Florin Szilaghi, Alexiu Turca, Kalman Urszuj
les Chevaux: Apollon, Ares, Chronos, Demeter, Dionysos, Eros, Hephaistos, Hera, Hermès, Pan, Poseidon, Zeus, Antonëte, Arruza, Belmonte, Bombita, Cagancho, Chamaco, Chicuelo, Conchita, Dominguin, El Cordobes, El Gallo, El Soro, El Viti, Espartaco, Frascuelo, Joselito, Manolete, Manzanares, Nimeño, Paquiri, Lobéro, Meia Lua, Monoï et l'âne Narthex
Soins des chevaux : Fabrice Amar, Émilie Blandin, Sarah Boulier, Johanna Houe, Lucie Lebey, Marie Mairy
création et réalisation des costumes (cavaliers et chevaux) :Marie-Laurence Schakmundès, Sylvie Berthou
assistante à la mise en scène: Anne Perron
directeur technique : Hervé Vincent
Production
Coproduction : Théâtre équestre Zingaro, Fondation Istanbul pour la Culture et les Arts, Festival d'Avignon, Théâtre de Namur, La Coursive, Scène nationale – La Rochelle