«La Tendresse du ventre de la baleine»
Géraldine Chollet

The works of Lausanne-based choreographer Géraldine Chollet are powerful, impressively dance-like and create an empathetic pull that is difficult for the audience to resist. In ‘La Tendresse du ventre de la baleine’ (The Tenderness of the Whale's Belly), the audience is enthralled by eight magnificent dancers and the rousing energy of the music by Zurich-based DJ MÂNAA and guitarist and singer Billie Bird. Based on the book Jonas*, Chollet has created an evening of dance, music and togetherness.

*Jonas, whose fabulous journey in the belly of a fish is recounted in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Swallowed by the sea at night, Jonas experiences three days of learning and intense transformation, hidden inside the whale. Spit out onto the shore and finding himself, he now embarks on a path of confrontation with the community.

Information on accessibility and language

• Stepless access

• 60-minute performance without intermission

• Language: At the beginning, there is quiet singing in English phonetic language. Otherwise, the performance is non-verbal.

• Sensory stimuli: During the entrance situation, the room is brightly lit, and the seating areas are easy to see. There is haze in the upper part of the room, but it does not affect visibility. During the performance, there are slow, gentle light changes and one blackout lasting 15 seconds in the middle of the piece.
  The dance performance uses rhythmic electronic music. At the beginning, a bass guitar is played.

• Audience situation: The audience sits on cushions in the center of the room. There is about 1,2 m² for each person in the audience. There is also the option to sit on chairs. A limited number of reduced-barrier places (beanbag and wheelchair spaces) can be booked when buying tickets. The dancers move around and through the audience.

• Interaction: Some movement sequences take place very close to the audience but the audience are not directly addressed and there is no direct interaction.