Blanca Li

«My creations draw their inspiration from flamenco, traditional dances from Africa, as well as classical ballet or contemporary dancing. My style is made of all these various influences. It is so difficult to take in that when I find the right performers, I do everything not to change my cast.» Blanca Li, Figaroscope, 1997

The dancers have very different backgrounds, but all share the skills Blanca Li’s unique style requires - among which, of course, a common taste for happiness and a good sense of humour...

Dancers from the Blanca Li Company

Jean-Gérald Dorseuil
After winning a scholarship to the Paul et Yvonne Goube school in Paris, the London Studio Centre and the Princesse Grace of Monaco school, Jean Gérald Dorseuil participated in numerous ballets in France and abroad. His collaboration with Blanca Li started in 1997 for the show Le songe du Minotaure . He also worked with her on the choregraphy of Borderline created at the Komische Oper in Berlin in 2001 as well as for the movie Le défi written by Blanca Li. He worked with Raoul Hébréard, plastician, on "Round-Around (Appartement)", a short film presented at the Nice and Avignon Contemporary Art Festival. Jean-Gérald Dorseuil is also involved in professional training. In 1997 in Hyères (South of France) he created his own dance school with Alexandra Clément, his wife. Some of his students later entered renowned professional schools or companies : Rudra Béjart Ballet et Compagnie, Lyon CNSMD, London Studio Centre, Rosella Higthtower, Crazy Horse, Angelin Preljocaj‘s G.U.I.D... This ressource of talents allows him to offer the result of his choregraphic researches to various institutions and cultural events : "Museum night 2006", Maison de la photographie (Toulon), "Autumn Choregraphic Meeting" Pradet 2004-2006, "Performance in a public garden" for the no car days in Le Mourillon (Toulon), Installation and performance with Raoul Hébréard, plastician, at the Fort of L’Eguillette(La Seyne sur Mer) June 2006... Jean-Gérald Dorseuil also participates in many cultural and pedagogical missions around dance. Worked in collaboration with the following compagnies: Wallonie Royal Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Gigi Caciuleanu, Hagen Theatre Ballet, ...

Matthew Hawkins
Matthew Hawkins is a Londoner. He received his early training at the Royal Ballet School and joined the Royal Ballet at age 17, remaining there for a further five years. He began presenting choreography in 1980 and went freelance in order to pursue this interest. He also danced with emerging independent groups like Second Stride (1982/3) and Michael Clark and Company (1984 - 1992). Hawkins has received numerous commissions for choreography: from companies (i.e. Rambert Dance Company (UK)- 1995) from festivals (notably Dance Umbrella - 1982/83/93/96) and from various producers. For ten years (starting in 1986) he concentrated on directing his own troupe. The Jerwood Choreography Prize was awarded to Hawkins in 2002: he also received the Chris de Marigny Dance Writing award and, later, a year’s fellowship with Arts Council England. Matthew’s career is now an international enterprise : he has recently choreographed in Venezuela and he is making a significant body of work in France, Scotland, Slovakia, Turkey, and The People’s Republic of China.

Ahmed Karetti
Ahmed Karetti is a self-taught dancer. American musicals and tap dancing have had a great influence on him ever since his early years. In 1995 he performs in the show Hieroglyphis choreographed by Jean-François Duroure. In 1996, he creates his own dance company which takes part in the Rencontres de Cultures Urbaines that same year. On this occasion he meets the choreographer Zaza Disdiers with whom he experiments working both on text and hip hop dancing. Meanwhile, he works as a dancer and an actor for various companies such as Melting Spot, The Studio Théâtre of Stains … In 1999, he performs in Blanca Li’s creation Macadam Macadam in Suresnes and he is also part of the 2006 cast. Since 2000, Ahmed Karetti has been learning different techniques from the circus such as the flying trapeze, the aerial silk ballet or the Chinese pole. He also organizes a number of workshops on both a national and international level.

Yohann Tété
Trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur of Paris, Yohann Tété received the first prize of the Upper Normandy Choreography Competition in 2004. Since then, he has been leading the Sankofa Company Y.TT.
He has danced for numerous companies : Philippe Découflé's DCA in 2004-2005, Abou Lagraa's La Baraka in 2005, Cie Georges Momboye since 2005, Pietragalla company from 2005 to 2007, and Carolyn Carlson from 2008 to 2009. He is also a high-level and international teacher of contemporary dance and hip hop (LA style) working on various workshops in Israel, Italy, Poland, France...

Deborah Torres
Born in Barcelona, Deborah Torres was trained in classical ballet, contemporary dance and flamenco at the Institut del Teatre of Barcelona, then at the Nancy Tuñon drama school. In 1993 she leaves her hometown for Paris where she carries on with her contemporary training. Having settled in France, she works successively with Jean Gaudin, Nathalie Bard, Alexis Manuel and Blanca Li, and also performs in various creations at the Paris Opera. Since 2004, after a specialized training, she shares her time between dancing and sound engineering and works regulary as a sound assistant or a post-production supervisor.