Two accordionists and three dancers on a sand dune overlooking the sea. There is an open sky, the wind is blowing and billowing their shirts while the movement of the waves provides a visual backdrop to this resolutely-cheerful mock folk dance.
A sort of allusion to the hidden origins of classical ballet.  

"Aunis", originally a solo, was composed in 1979 by Jacques Garnier. At the time, he and Brigitte Lefèvre had distanced themselves from the Paris Opéra and founded their own company, Le Théâtre du Silence. A name (Theatre of Silence), which says much about the quest for a dance which is pure, freed from the yoke of narration and libretto. "Aunis" is a hymn to the rediscovered joy of releasing the body in movement, rhythm and music. In 1980 Jacques Garnier revived “Aunis” for three performers, and for the Biennale de Lyon 1988, Kader Belarbi, Wilfried Romoli and Jean-Claude Ciappara from the Paris Opéra, took on the roles. We see them here in this film which opens with a tribute to Jacques Garnier, no longer with us: “Smile at life and, bursting with laughter, love.”

Source : CNC Images de la culture

French dancer and choreographer (1940-1989)

He began dancing at the age of 18 after completing his secondary education. He trained in Yves Brieux's class at the Conservatoire National de Paris and joined the corps de ballet of the Paris Opéra after auditioning in 1963. His participation in Ballet-Studio, a contemporary group set up within the Opéra by Michel Descombey in 1968, opened up new horizons. He then trained in Alvin Ailey and Merce Cunningham's techniques during trips to the United Sates. Driven by a desire for freedom, with a group of friends, he founded the Groupe des 7 and with it, produced his earliest choreographies, performed at the Festival of Avignon (1970-1971). With Brigitte Lefèvre, he left the Opéra and set up the Théâtre du Silence in 1972. He returned to the Opéra in 1981 to form the GRCOP research group.

Whether as performer or choreographer, he expresses the search for an internal rhythm, paying special attention to the quality of movement and music in “Aunis” (1981) or “À Cœur Ouvert” (1984), a pas de deux composed for Ghislaine Thesmar and Michaël Denard. He obstinately promotes modern composers including K. Stockhausen (“Kontakle”, 1975), Bruno Maderna (“Quadrivium”, 1975), Steve Lacy (“Score”, 1979). A natural leader, he calls upon the “American Masters” as well as young choreographers, contributing by his generosity to the rise of French dance.”

Source: Dictionnaire de la Danse (Larousse, 1999)

After studies of mathematics preparatory class and medecine studies, Luc Riolon begins to make films within the framework of his Faculty of Medicine, then met the famous choreographers of the 80s (Maguy Marin, Mark Tompkins, Josef Nadj, Daniel Larrieu Daniel, Odile Duboc, Josette Baiz, Angelin Prljocaj, etc.) with whom he shoots numerous films (re-creation for the camera, the illegal securements). In the 80s with the American choreographer Mark Tompkins he introduces the video on the stage, broadcasting live on big screens the images which he shoots with his camera by being on the stage with the dancers, mixing live images and pre-recorded images. With Daniel Larrieu he participates in the creation of the famous show WATERPROOF, the contemporary choreography which takes place in a swimming pool, by filming live) the dancers dancing in the water and mixing the live images with pre-recorded underwater images. This choreography has been shown in many countries (USA, Canada, Spain, England…)
Then he collaborates during 10 years with the famous french TV producer Eve Ruggieri for her programs" Musics in the heart ". He shoots with her of numerous documentaries about classical music, opera singers and dance. From 1999 he directs documentaries of scientific popularization, by following researchers attached to the resolution of a particular ecologic enigma. These two artistic and scientific domains which can seem separated are nevertheless, for Luc Riolon, connected by the same approach : the deep desire to understand the world, by the art or by the scientific research, and to restore it to the largest number. Among his recent scientific documentaries, we can quote for example " The Enigma of the Black Caiman ", Living and dying in the swamp " or " The Nile delta: The end of the miracle ". “Chernobyl, a natural history ? “ These documentaries of scientific popularization recently have been awarded in international festivals.

Source: Vimeo