LE VENT SE LÈVE

It's getting stormy: ‘Le vent se lève’ is a metaphorical expression in French that refers to more than just a natural phenomenon. It also suggests political or social protest. Just as multi-layered as the title, Manuel Roque's daring feat of physicality is a search for balance between force and wisdom. How does a dynamic unfold, how do we overcome immobility and ignite centrifugal force? A man whirls in the wind, driven to exhaustion by a tornado. Or is the storm raging only inside him? Roque's solo plays with the dynamics of the abyss, yet it is a deeply optimistic work. For when everything seems to stand still, the next departure is already foreseeable, and Roque's virtuosity responds to moments of calmness every time. The Franco-Canadian dancer and acrobat from the famous Cirque Eloize knows better than anyone how to shine on the edge of balance. With all his strength, which first brings the imaginary wind to life, he hovers above the dividing line between falling and flying. In infinite poetry, he poses the mother of all questions: surrender or rebel? And what about our relationship with nature? Roque merges with its wonders and accepts his wounds as a declaration of love for the supposed chaos of the uncontrollable. Fully aware of our concept of culture, he shares with us and communicates to us our strength and our endearing fragility.