After the phenomenal success of the first edition of “F (ê) aites de la Danse” in June 2017, Jean-Christophe Maillot, choreographer of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, announces that the event will come back in 2020. And then, every two years.
June 2017. First edition of the F (ê) aites de la danse. A phenomenal success.
“I do not think I’ve ever thought of anything ideally, and that’s exactly what it’s in reality, and that’s what happened. In my wildest dreams, I saw 5,000 or 6,000 people. I never imagined that there were so many people. We had envisaged a maximum of 12,000 people” says Jean-Christophe Maillot, head of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and creator of the event.
Ideal success
Finally, 28,000 people came to celebrate the dance. An enormous success. A moment of social bliss: “The idea is to imagine the meeting of all social classes, all cultures and all that is well: that’s what happened. There was not a single incident during the evening. The spirit of sharing was incredible.”
A real joy for the choreographer, since the goal was to celebrate the 30 years of the company “by giving back to the public a little of what he had given us all these years.” A sort of gift, for which it was inconceivable for him to charge the entrance.
Given this spectacular success, how not to consider a second edition? Given the organisation this represents, it was not possible to do it annually. On the other hand, every two years it was playable. Only now, in 2019, the company is already taken in June, by a six-week international tour.
More than perfect
So it’s decided, the next edition will be in 2020, and then every two years.
“Finally, it’s pretty good, since the place of the casino will be redone, the frame will be ideal”, console Maillot.
After an ideal first edition, it’s hard to think of anything new: “Maybe bigger giant screens.” Is there anything more than perfect?
More than improvements, this perfectionist already sees things bigger. “I’d like a parade going up from the harbour to the square to start the party, and that the dance marathon lasts 24 hours instead of 6 hours.”
No doubt that this fast-paced, creative spirit still has the resource to renew the event.
An essential detail will remain unchanged: the level of security and controls.
All that is painful is what allowed an event to attract twice as many people as its expected capacity, without counting a single incident.