The 20th Lyon Dance Biennale has launched with a provocative mission: to challenge what celebrated choreographer William Forsythe terms 'undertainment' - the modern expectation for instant, easily digestible cultural consumption. Under the artistic direction of Andréya Ouamba, this prestigious festival is deliberately programming works that demand patience, concentration and active engagement from audiences.
Forsythe's Radical Simplicity
American choreographer William Forsythe presents 'A Quiet Evening of Dance', a deliberately paced work that unfolds with almost mathematical precision. The performance features just six dancers moving through meticulously structured sequences that reject theatrical spectacle in favour of pure movement investigation. Forsythe describes his approach as creating 'an environment for the audience to project their own imagination', forcing viewers to become active participants rather than passive consumers.
Chaignaud's Baroque Extravaganza
In stark contrast, French artist François Chaignaud offers 'Geometries of Passion', a four-hour sensory overload blending Renaissance polyphony, Japanese butoh and architectural theory. The performance builds gradually from near-stillness to explosive physicality, testing audience endurance while creating what one critic called 'a cathedral of accumulated intensity'. Chaignaud argues that true artistic experience requires time to develop properly, comparing his work to 'a slow-cooked meal versus fast food'.
The Festival's Philosophical Stance
Artistic director Andréya Ouamba has deliberately curated a programme that resists the TikTok-ification of culture. 'We're living in an age where everything must be immediately understandable, instantly gratifying,' Ouamba explains. 'But some of the most rewarding artistic experiences require effort and patience. We're asking audiences to trust the process, to sit with discomfort and uncertainty.'
The biennale features over 30 companies from five continents, with many works exceeding conventional performance lengths. This curatorial approach represents a bold statement in an era of shrinking attention spans, positioning dance as an antidote to what Forsythe describes as 'the constant, low-grade distraction of modern life'.
Audience Reactions Divided
Early responses have been polarised, with some spectators leaving performances early while others report transformative experiences. 'It was challenging, definitely,' admitted one attendee after Chaignaud's marathon work. 'But by the end, I felt I'd been through something significant, not just entertained.'
The Lyon Dance Biennale continues through December, offering a compelling counter-argument to the culture of instant gratification and positioning dance as a vital space for deep, sustained engagement in an increasingly distracted world.
