Between Ecstasy and Ritual: Gisèle Vienne on Crowd

What happens when collective emotion meets individual longing? In Crowd, French director and choreographer Gisèle Vienne explores the tension between intimacy and togetherness—set against the backdrop of an all-night party, carried by electronic music and a hypnotic play with time and perception.

Interview by David Sanson

With Crowd, you continue your exploration of the relationship between art and the sacred—something that’s shaped your work from the very beginning. Is this the first time you’ve done so through such a large and collective form?

Until The Pyre (2013), my pieces—regardless of the number of performers—focused on individual experience. I was interested in inner worlds, personal emotions, fantasies. The Ventriloquists Convention (2015) was the first time I placed a group at the center, where social dynamics became essential. In Crowd, I focus on young people who come together to seek intense experiences, drawn by a shared love for techno. The party setting allows me to revisit the connection between private desire and collective feeling from a new perspective.

How does this theme connect with your broader body of work?

I’ve always been drawn to how societies negotiate the expression of emotions—especially those seen as excessive or inappropriate. Whether we’re talking about desire, violence or death, these are experiences that touch everyone and can disrupt the social order depending on how they’re expressed. In Crowd, the focus is on heightened emotions—born from longing, from a need for love. The characters are open, vulnerable, ready to surrender to what they feel. And the structure of the piece, along with the behavior of the group, recalls something ritualistic. That emotional intensity also reaches the audience—it becomes a shared experience.

Music plays a central role in Crowd. How did you approach the soundtrack?

It was absolutely key. Peter Rehberg suggested a number of tracks, and I selected the ones that best matched the piece. He then shaped the final sound mix. The selection has historical weight too: it includes iconic tracks that helped define electronic music—like works by Jeff Mills and Underground Resistance from Detroit, or Manuel Göttsching. We wanted to create a musical arc spanning four decades. On top of that, there are two original compositions: one by KTL (Stephen O’Malley and Peter Rehberg), and another by Rehberg alone.

You’ve described Dennis Cooper’s contribution as a “subtext.” What do you mean by that?

In my work, text always exists on multiple levels. Sometimes it’s spoken, sometimes it remains silent but still present. In Jerk (2008), the performer speaks non-stop. In I Apologize (2004), not a single word is said. With Dennis Cooper, I’ve been exploring how to rethink text, voice, language, and storytelling for the stage. In Crowd, there’s a kind of “subtext” that isn’t spoken but is deeply felt. Each of the fifteen dancers embodies a distinct character—with their own thoughts, emotions, backstory. Just like at a party, there are countless micro-narratives unfolding all at once. Dennis created short character sketches in collaboration with the performers, and these shaped the atmosphere of the piece. It’s a bit like mixing music: different tracks fade in and out depending on where the attention goes. The audience chooses what to focus on—what to see, what to feel.

Time also seems to behave strangely in Crowd—a recurring element in your work?

Yes, it’s something I return to often. In Crowd, I play with choreographic density, with the way movement is stylized and edited. It’s not about imitating real gestures, but translating them from emotion, from presence. Sometimes the dancers move in unison, other times each follows a personal rhythm. This creates a rich texture, shifting how time is perceived. It stretches, slows down, almost stands still—like a dream or a trance. But it always carries meaning. Through the layering of movement, music, and light, the piece creates a nonlinear narrative—where moments and characters can be observed up close, almost like cinematic close-ups.

Crowd by Gisèle Vienne will be performed on July 22 as part of Bolzano Danza 2025.
For performance dates, tickets and more information, click here.