There are prima ballerinas; and then there is HEDO… Four ebony rays of sunshine, inspired by the black volcanic sand of their island, where it all began… HEDO for hedonism, a pure state of pleasure.
The HEDO Collective consists of four 24-year-old dancers from Guadeloupe: Lisa Ponin, Kenyah Stanislas, Mickaël Top, and Naomi Yengadessin. They chose dance as their means of self-expression and have made it their careers. Both dancers and choreographers, they took their first professional steps with the Correspon’danse Association. Today they all have multiple degrees but took the risk of staying on their native island to promote their art. No need to move to New York or Paris, the HEDO troupe, which took its name from the hedonist philosophy, moves their bodies against the most beautiful scenic backdrop, between the sky and the land of Karukera (the Arawak name for Guadeloupe).
Their rhythms have begun to be felt around the island, as they perform on stages at the Artchipel and at the Robert Loyson Cultural Center, but also in France thanks to artistic exchanges such as “the pine and the mangrove,” a joint project in collaboration with the Landes Musiques Amplifiées Association.
HEDO defines itself as four bodies that dance, but they are also very conscious. Conscious of a world with diversity, of a world in need. For them, there are messages that must be shared, questions that must be raised, and above all, an essential transmission of information, which is why the HEDO Collective takes part in various projects with non-profit associations.
Sucres à Corps Chauds ~ “Sucres à Corps Chauds” is the name of the second piece created by HEDO, after their first titled “Danse si t’es” in 2020. They are also working on their next performance project, “Diversions – Dix version,” planned for 2024. Inviting reflection about the dogmas of cultural alienation and fatalism in Guadeloupe, this piece uses choreography to question the system of generational transmission and fatalist thinking: Is there a correct way to think about our island? “Sucres à Corps Chauds” goes beyond stereotypes and uses the human body as a voice to create awareness and open up to other possibilities!
The first full performance of “Sucres à Corps Chauds” took place last February at the Artchipel in Basse Terre, with lighting by Olivier Roger. The second performance was held in June at the Robert Loyson Cultural Center in Le Moule.
50 minutes suspended in time, breathtaking, where the audience holds its breath in suspense, echoing that of the four sweaty ebony bodies, four black suns that spin, four talents who bodies create the images on a stage completely void of décor.
Their movements can be like undulating waves, or at other times rebellious and angry; their rhythms soft or electric, their breathing smooth or staccato… A fresco of human spirits, choreographed from the bowels of these young dancers who want to create without leaving their island in spite of its Caribbean insularity, and make the most of their talent and impetuosity.
HEDO Collective, if you have never seen them, make a date to see them dance…
Auteur : Barbara Keller
MORE INFORMATION ~ Tél.: +690 690 07 65 00 ~ Mail :collectif.hedo@gmail.com
