G.R.O.O.V.E.

Let’s go! The Festival d’Avignon opens its 77th edition with an ambulatory dance/music/light show, a three-hour modern-day ritual which throws wide open the doors of the Opéra. Come experience the pulsing music of artist Bintou Dembélé’s G.R.O.O.V.E. and meet a major figure in the history of French hip-hop and the winner of the SACD Choreography award in 2022, who began in 2002 a fascinating work based on a way of thinking and a dance breaking free of all constraints, at once heritage and celebration. Bintou left her mark in 2019 with her choreography of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera-ballet Les Indes galantes for the Opéra national de Paris. With G.R.O.O.V.E., Bintou Dembélé thwarts expectations in a flamboyant journey which subverts this libretto. She plays with the codes of the street, calls on the sacred, and brings together hip-hop, K.R.U.M.P., voguing, Célia Kameni’s amazing singing, and Charles Amblard’s lap steep guitar, which will invite you to join them on the dance floor.

Interview with Bintou Dembélé

With Wilfried Blé "Wolf", Guillaume Chan Ton, Bintou Dembélé, Marion Gallet, Cintia Golitin, Adrien Goulinet, Mohammed Medelsi "Med", Alexandre Moreau "Cyborg", Salomon Mpondo-Dicka "Bidjé", Marie Ndutiye, Michel Onomo "Meech, Juliana Roumbedakis, Féroz Sahoulamide and Charles Amblard (guitar and lapsteel), Célia Kameni (alternating with Cindy Pooch) (vocals) with the original participation of Cré Scène 13 (Marseille)
Concept and choreography Bintou Dembélé
Choreographic assistant Féroz Sahoulamide
Artistic coordination Anthony Cazaux
Music Charles Amblard
Vocal creation Célia Kameni
DJ set DJ Meech de FranceLight Benjamin Nesme
Costumes Anaïs Durand Munyankindi
General management Philippe Mortelecque, Sébastien Bausseron
Sound Designer Jérémy Hoareau
Light Designer Emmanuel Gary
Administration Cécile Lorenzi
Diffusion Elizabeth Fély-Dablemont
Press Relations Agence Plan Bey
Recorded Music Jean-Philippe Rameau - Les Indes galantes Orchestre Cappella Mediterranea, Choeur de chambre de Namur, Direction Leonardo García Alarcón, David Lang I lie, The Little Match Girl Passion, Ars Nova CopenhagenPaul Hillier Kronos Quartet - Pieces of Africa : Ekitundu Ekisooka I and II, White Man Sleeps, Wawshishijay

Production La Structure Rualité, Festival de Marseille
Coproduction Opéra de Lille, Ateliers Médicis (Clichy-sous-Bois et Montfermeil), ExtraPôle Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur*, Ville de Lille, Maison Folie Moulins (Lille), Ville de Champignysur- MarneWith the support of Spedidam for the 77th Festival d'AvignonPerformances in partnership with France Médias MondeWith the kind permission of France Musique to use extracts from the recording of Les Indes galantes made in October 2019 at the Opéra national de Paris.

* Production platform supported by the Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, bringing together the Festival d'Avignon, the Festival de Marseille, the Théâtre national de Nice, the Théâtre national de Marseille La Criée, LesThéâtres, Anthéa, Châteauvallon-Liberté Scène nationale (Ollioules) and the Friche la Belle de Mai (Marseille).