My name is Jérôme Delbey. I am a choreographer, costume and set designer based in Gothenburg, Sweden. My work as a choreographer has been awarded in competition and my pieces “I shall die in Florence” choreographed for the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani was received with great success ‐ from both audiences and press ‐ and so was “Hel Haldi Sínu” choreographed for the Iceland Dance Company which was nominated for a “Gríman” (the Icelandic performing arts awards) for best choreography of the year 2012.

The theatre Atalante (Gothenburg) is inviting me to perform on their stage a new world premiere creation based on Marguerite Duras´s book "Yeux Bleus Cheveux Noirs" (Blue Eyes, Black Hair). The goal is to have it premiered at Atalante and then to tour it from fall 2019 nationally and internationally and present it to festivals. The Premiere date in Atalante is set for the 17th of April followed by two performances on the 18th and 19th of April.

Since it is a brand new production, I am seeking funding and supports to be able to make it happen. I have a wonderful cast of dancers from the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani willing to follow me on that project consisting of Emilie Leriche, Pascal Marty and Benjamin Behrends.

"Blue eyes, Black hair" is a danced adaptation of the eponymous novel by Marguerite Duras.

The theme of the play asks the question of love between two people who do not have the same sexual preference. How to accept then that the other does not come closer to his own desires? The real message is a deep love.

This beautiful work of literature deals in a heartbreaking fashion with very sensitive subjects: How love between two beings can be transcended but all the same hindered because their physical and emotional attractions differ.

In the centre of the story, a "funeral place", a theatre scene, a room where love is impossible. Everything revolves around a terrible and unspeakable moment, when everything has been unveiled and stolen in a flash. This fatal moment, the characters re enumerate the illumination and the mystery: the sudden vision of a man with blue eyes and black hair.

As a choreographer my aim has always been to take the audience on emotional journeys, on how to reflect on a societal subject through an experience that can transcend to a certain form of beauty. It is a sensorial experience that connects the viewers to their own feelings and emotions ‐ and leading them to reflect on the world through them.

This project is very dear to me for different reasons. Multiple knee surgeries (due to my former dancer´s carrer) have kept me away from choreographing the past years, with this invitation from Atalante has finally come the chance to get back to my creative work as choreographer. I read this book for the very first time some twenty years ago and it was always clear to me it should become a dance staged production.

Marguerite Duras´s heart breaking novel touches so many levels anyone who has loved can relate to: falling madly in love with someone seen in a glimpse and never seen again and to languish for days, weeks after that glimpse; the experience of the deepest feelings for a person of the opposite sex with whom one knows nothing can ever happen and on the opposite being someone’s object of desire and unintentionally make that person suffer because of the impossibility of fulfilling their desires of a relationship… All these themes (and beyond) are addressed in this creation. The cast of dancers is exceptional and they are fully engaged in this project with heart and soul but most of all with their incredible talent. I couldn’t have dreamt of a more perfect cast for this work and I truly hope to be able to take them all the way of this fantastic journey.

I hope you will find this project attractive and worth sponsoring. Please, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

“Blue Eyes, Black Hair” - 2019

Danced adaptation of the eponymous novel by Marguerite Duras.

Choreography, set, costume & light design: Jérôme Delbey

Dancers: Emilie Leriche, Pascal Marty, Benjamin Behrends

Music: Musicollage from bits and pieces taken from Francesco Cavalli, Claudio Monteverdi, Vicenzo Bellini, Lou Reed amongst others…

Length between 45 min. and 1 hour.

World premiere - Creation.

Premiere in Atalante (Gothenburg, Sweden) 17th of April 2019.

http://atalante.org/project/blue-eyes-black-hair/

About...

Jérôme Delbey

Jérôme Delbey was born in 1975 in Croix (France). He began his dance training in his hometown at the “Ecole nationale de danse“ in Tourcoing. He also studied 3 years at the “Ecole supérieure d´arts appliqués et du textile“ in

Roubaix and, in 1993, graduated with a degree in applied arts. He then joined

the “Jeune ballet international“ in the “Ecole supérieure de danse Rosella

Hightower“ in Cannes (France). After 11 years in Germany with the Badisches

Staatstheater Karlsruhe and the Theater Regensburg, Jérôme was engaged in 2006 by The GöteborgsOperans Danskompani (Sweden).

In addition to creating several works for freelance projects he choreographed “Mauvais Anges“ for the Göteborg Ballet in 2007 - which was awarded with the “Scapino Production Price “ at the 22nd International Choreography Competition in Hannover (Germany) in 2008 and was awarded at the Cross Connection International Choreography Competition in Copenhagen (Denmark) in 2009 -, “Skin” for the Scapino Ballet Rotterdam in 2009, “Soldat” in 2010 with the dancer Erik Johansson, “I shall die in Florence” for The GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, “Hel Haldi Sínu” for the Iceland Dance Company in 2012 and more recently “Blue… Almost transparent” in 2015 with students from Balett Akademi Stockholm and Göteborg.

Jérôme Delbey is as well set, costume, graphic and light designer. He has created all the designs of his own dance pieces but also for choreographers such as Thomas Zamolo, Moritz Ostruschnjak, Hokuto Kodama, Fernando Melo, Arika Yamada, Dorotea Saykaly & Pascal Marty amongst others.

He´s been recently working with choreographer Fernando Melo on the creation of the costumes for his creation “Pepper´s Ghost” for Norrdans (Sweden) as well as for “Re:Play” and “Dream Play” for the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (USA).

The dancers

You can watch some of my previous works on:

https://www.jeromedelbey.com

https://vimeo.com/user8354841

Blue Eyes Black Hair

The publications