"Saying" it All with the Body!

"Retour à l'enfance" created as part of the "Choré-Voix" artistic training by the Ballets de Monte-Carlo ©Direction de la Communication/Manuel Vitali

On Friday 8 June, almost a hundred pupils from State and private primary schools in Monaco and Beausoleil performed a musical entitled "Retour à l'enfance" ("Return to Childhood") in the Salle Garnier at the Monte-Carlo Opera.  The work was created as part of the "Choré-Voix" artistic training by the Ballets de Monte-Carlo.

Once again this year, this multidisciplinary educational project, undertaken jointly by the Education Unit of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo and the Department of Education, Youth and Sport, was implemented in close partnership with the Prince Rainier III Academy of Music and Theatre.  In addition, the Société des Bains de Mer gave its generous support to this major artistic initiative.

The pupils committed themselves enthusiastically to the artistic approaches of working on one’s body, mastering expression through choreographic movement, choral singing and theatrical expression, to achieve a major goal – performing on stage like a real artist.  This is the aim of the training policy offered by the Education Unit of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo and its partners

•   Ms. Dominique Dreyfus and Mr. Bruno Roque, respectively dance teacher, Head of the Education Unit, former dancer with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo and choreographer for the Education Unit,
•  Ms. Marie Debat, a teacher who has followed the Choré-Voix training,
•   Mr. Bruno Habert, Choir Director at the Rainier III Academy of Music,
• Ms. Sandra Monlouis, Choir Director at the CREA (Centre de création vocale et scénique d'Aulnay-sous-Bois), Centre for Vocal and Stage Creativity of Aulnay-sous-Bois)
•   Ms. Peggy Semeria, actress and freelance director
•  Ms. Annick Porta, Choré-Voix teacher-trainer

 It should also be noted that the author Patrick Goujon, whose work is published by Gallimard, agreed to help the pupils in writing workshops, in order to write the entire libretto for the show.

 Thus, throughout the school year, for one hour per week, as well as on intensive training courses, primary school pupils, as well as some secondary school pupils from the Principality, who wished to take part in this wonderful personal and artistic adventure with their young friends, followed the training courses offered with remarkable conscientiousness and perseverance.

The following took part in this project:

• the pupils of Ms. Mylène Puget's Year 4 class at the Ecole de La Condamine, directed by Ms. Pascale Bellingeri,
• the pupils of Ms. Méryl Descamps at the Ecole François d'Assise - Nicolas Barré, directed by Ms. Hélène Palméro),
• the pupils of Ms. Aline Amaranto's Year 5 class at the Ecole des Révoires, under the aegis of Ms. Isabelle Biancheri, Director of the Ecole des Revoires,
• pupils from the Choré-Voix group (primary and secondary school pupils who wished to be involved in this project outside school time).