"Let's dance in the mud" or "¡Desde el fango, bailamos!" is a web documentary project, born from the homecoming of two exiled cuban artists : Nelson Reguera a contemporary dancer and choreographer, and Yan Vega, a filmmaker.

Why this project ?

Nelson Reguera : I left my country in 2000 to pursue a choreographic career in Australia before going to the central Europe, then in Paris, to work in the franco-hungarian company "Pál Frenák".

Yan Vega : For my part, I moved in Paris in 2004 to make films. After earning some recognition in Europe, we both want to go back to our place, then to share this legitimacy with our families.

Nelson : It's through the "eye" of Yan's camera that the return to the country will be revealed, this is a common story.

Yan : Three years ago, I made a short fim entitled, Memories of a Cuban inspired by my family's history as illustrated through some family photos I've kept as mementos. Today, my family has spread out.

I'm proud to have done something with the memories of this period now past, and also to see that this film, which deals with a very personal story, won several prizes and was broadcast by Arte. My current project is to return to Cuba to film a documentary about the figure of the exiled artist, confronted by his homecoming, a return which is charged with both idealization and dread.

Nelson : Since I left my country, I filmed my process, perhaps to preserve a memory of this incredible journey that I made to dance. Today, I'd like to film a dream : dance in front of my entire family, humble farmers, from a distanced landscape of Cuba who never saw me dancing. My family has never saw me any of my show. Those people, who love me and I love, do not absolutely know anything about my career, my life neither my art. However, they have always encouraged and supported me in my work, in all the things that I made, even a thousand kilometers away, without a phone.

The show InTime is selected at the dance festival of Santa Clara

Yan : Nelson works with Pál since near 10 years. Today he feels the needs to create a link between his biological family and his profesionnal family : a team of six dancers. This meeting would be as much incredible as ours, a few time ago in Paris.

Nelson : To realize this crazy project,we had the idea to propose "Intime" the most bigger success by Frenák to the dance festival of Santa Clara in Cuba "« 9eme temporada para bailar en Casa del Trompo » which will take place between the 12th to the 22nd of the next December. We have been selected ! Ernesto Alejo, my old dance teacher and the festival organiser is very impatient just thinking of receive us ! But, the festival budget is really restricted, we have to go there on our own ways.

Co-produced by the prestigious Budapest Trafo House and the Parisian National center of dancing; and interpreted by the all artits who collaborate with Pál Frenák. The intense choregraphic pulsion and theatrical exude from those six dancers let the people observe every sides of the behaviour during the trade with other people, but during the solitude, intimity, pain and happiness. Intime do not propose solutions to the difficulty of relationship bewtween humans but let to the spectator the opportuniy to discover ourself in our own history.

InTime Teaser

Intime3

Nelsonit

Yan : For this film, I am going to get inspiration in direct cinema, documentaries and a little of musical comedies.

Nelson : Yes, this movie will be tinted of an obvious part of irony ! We have mentionned the Strip-tease serie that I love and Pina 3D from Wim Wenders, but also th Fred Astaire classic.

Yan : The camera will follow the company since its arrive at the airport until its departure. Then we will see the day-to-day routine of the dancers, the choregrapher in Cuba, with the mishaps of the production of the show. Little musical comedy playlet will illustrate the mood of our characters. We will use technical skills more consequent to record those stages.

Nelson : Why don't we dance in the Havana streets and on the beach ? We even could go to my parents'farm. The mud, El Fango, it's the earth of my farm, my origins. It will also be the occasion for us, dancers, to express out the stage context.

Yan : That's obvious ! Nelson's family couldn't move to the festival. Let's meet them and dance in the mud ! (both laughs)

How this experiment will be felt by Nelson and the other dancers ? How the public will receive the play ? How will it be performed ? What relation will be etablish between Yan, Nelson, the dancers and the choregrapher Pál Frenák at place ? The hungarian dancers will resonate with the cuban population ? What will be the family look about his artist career ?

Nelson : Today, it seems appropriate that a comtemporary dance play like InTime has to be performed in Cuba. We consider that the moments shared in this country diserve to be recorded !

Yan : It's only through the eyes of the team, through the eyes of the Nelson's family that you will live this uncommon adventure !

For that, we will need your support !

Team

The team :

Yan Vega was born in 1976 in Havana, Cuba. He studied film and television production from 1999 to 2004 at the International School of Cinema and Television of San Antonio de los Banos and at the Superior Institute of Art (ISA). In 2001, he filmed the making of of the full length Cuban film, Meil Para Oshun, by Humeberto Solas. In 2002, he filmed the short film La Antena in 16mm. In 2004, he made a music video for the Hip Hop group, Los Paisanos. In 2005, he moved to Paris to complete his independant short film, Malecon Beach, which was filmed in Cuba. In 2007, he completed the short film, Memories of a Cuban Family, in HD produced by Mémoire Magnétique and with the support of Arte France.

Yan_vega_pic

Nelson Reguera was born in Viila Clara, Cuba. He began to dance at age eleven at the National Dance School of Cuba. After graduating in 1997, he began his professional career with Rosario Cardenas and became soloist with the company Danza Combinatoria. In 2000, he left Cuba for Australia and founded his own company Havana Battement. He moved to Budapest and ultimately to Paris in 2005 and began to work with Pal Frenak. He perfoms in Csajok, Les Hommes Cachés, Frisson, Instinct, K.áO.sz !, Intime, Seven, k.Rush, et Hymen.

Nelson_pal

Pál Frenák was born in Budapest in 1957 to deaf-mute parents. His first means of communication was through sign language. His work is influenced by the films of Pier Paolo Pasolini, by the ideas of Francis Bacon and Gilles Deleuze, as well as by his personal relationship with the French contemporary artist Jean-Olivier. His work is reknowned for his unique physical signature which incorporates mime, sign language, and body language borrowed from contemporary circus, theater, fashion and music. In 2014, the Compagnie Pal Frenak will commemorate its 25th anniversary.

The dancers :

Marie-Julie Debeaulieu

Mud_1

Emese Jantner

Mud_2

Erika Vasas

Mud_3

Peter Holoda

Peterholoda

Zoltan Feicht

Zoli_p

Dansons dans la boue! ¡Desde el fango, bailamos! webdoc