Baroque movement and the body's eloquence, with Pierre-François Dollé

Movement and body support for expressive performance by singers, actors and musicians.

Through 3 days of practice, dancer and choreographer Pierre-François Dollé, a loyal collaborator of Les Arts Florissants, invites performers, singers, actors and musicians to explore Baroque physicality and the eloquence of the body, putting them at the service of expressivity and stage interpretation.

How to position your body to sing with ease or deliver a text at its best? What movements to use, to express what? Which supports are the most appropriate to allow breathing to circulate as efficiently as possible?

The masterclass will provide an opportunity to work on physical challenges in support of voice, text and dramatic interpretation. These points are often neglected in academic teaching (conservatories, music or drama schools) and can contribute to blocking or limiting performers in their practice, due to a lack of solutions and freedom of movement.

To “get your voice out”, you need to be anchored to your body and comfortable with your hands and arms!

Pierre-François Dollé, with his expertise as a dancer, teacher and practitioner of somatic techniques such as yoga and Feldenkrais, can meet the specific needs of singers, actors and musicians.

Who is it for?

Singers, actors or musicians wishing to deepen their knowledge of movement in a stage context; professionals or students in higher education establishments.

Where and when?

From March 25 to 27, 2025 (arriving in Thiré on March 24 at the end of the day), at the Quartier des Artistes in Thiré (Vendée), an exceptional heritage site combining the beauty of gardens and the pleasures of music, home of the Festival Dans les jardins de William Christie.

Learning outcomes

to learn to manage your breath and relax, with gentle warm-ups
to develop speech through movement, without illustration or artificial gestures
to know how to move and change your body weight to support your voice (text or song)

Course of events

The schedule will include group work, individual work and theoretical approaches (sources, context, etc.). Selected candidates will be invited to prepare :

for singers, an aria (“air de cour”, excerpt from a tragédie lyrique or a comédie ballet)
for actors and instrumentalists, a text from a play by Molière, Racine or Corneille, or a fable by La Fontaine

Those who wish to do so can, of course, combine both: singing an aria and declaiming a text!

Limited to 12 participants.

How to apply?

Please complete the online registration form (HERE)

Via this form, singers and musicians wishing to participate must send us :

a CV
a cover letter
an extract from a public performance

Application deadline: March 12, 2025

For information and inquiries, please send an e-mail to masterclasses@arts-florissants.org

Participation fee: 600 €, including tuition fees, accommodation in a single room, meals and transfers from the nearest train station.