For its ninth edition, the Danse élargie competition continues to welcome every impulse and experiment in movement — including those that seek to unfold beyond conventional performance spaces. In doing so, it extends the vision conceived by choreographer Boris Charmatz with the Musée de la danse, theatre director Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota with the Théâtre de la Ville – Paris, and the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès. Together, they have opened the doors of the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt to the boldest artistic ideas from all disciplines, following in the footsteps of renowned creators who once made their mark on that legendary stage.
For the 2026 edition, artists of all nationalities are invited to present a movement-based concept created for the stage — or, for the first time this year, for the pedestrian zone of Place du Châtelet. In this way, innovative forms for the stage and new artistic expressions for the public space will come together and coexist in a shared creative dialogue.
This year all will be conducted in partnership with the following organisations: Cndc d’Angers, headed by the choreographer Noé Soulier; La Comédie de Valence, CDN Drôme-Ardèche, headed by the author, theatre director and set designer Marc Lainé; and the Ballet de Lorraine-Centre chorégraphique national, headed by the choreographer Maud Le Pladec.
Projects submitted for the Competition must fulfil the following conditions:
- They must feature at least three performers (and can have many more)
- Not exceed 10 minutes in length (and can well be shorter)
- Artists can apply for projects devised for stage or for an outdoor performance.
Thanks to the support of the ministère de la Culture - Direction générale de la création artistique (French Ministry of Culture - General Directorate of Artistic Creation), each finalist will receive a lump sum assistance package of €2,000 to support expenses incurred by their participation (covering accommodation, travel, and rental cost of rehearsal studios).
