ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Xavier Kim

Of mixed French Vietnamese heritage, Xavier Kim was born in 1976 in Nancy. He began his university training studying philosophy but soon changed his focus to embrace juggling, acrobatics and dance with even greater enthusiasm.

Xavier created A.K.Y.S Projecte in late 2002 to qualify for a "Jeunes Talents Cirque/AFAA" national award at the Théâtre de la Cité Internationale in Paris. The result was a solo titled #0.0. The piece was performed for the first time in 2003 as part of the 16th Contemporary Circus Festival in Auch. #0.0 subsequently toured throughout France and to the Brazilian cities of Salvador, Recife and Fortaleza in October 2005.

In 2007 the company created 100% Croissance. The first work in progress showing won the National Contest of Creation at the National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center in Taipei (Taiwan). The piece was finished and received its premiere at Les Subsistances in Lyon. Choi(e)x a third project is under construction and will premiere this year.

As a performer Xavier worked with various French choreographers: Jean-Christophe Bleton (Oukiva - 2000), Lin Yuan Shang (Petites Formes Chorégraphiques Itinérantes - 2002), Kitsou Dubois (Analogies - 2004), Lionel Hoche (Pan!-2008). He is currently working with the stage director Thomas Ferrand (Et les Vivants ne mourront pas - 2009) and is beginning collaborations with Rachid Ouramdane and Boris Gib.

Soleil Koster

Born in 1975 in Amsterdam Soleil has been trained in contemporay dance at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. She first joined the Batsheva Ensemble of Ohad Naharin (Israel), then the Ballet Preljocaj from 1996 to 2001. Since then she continues her journey as an assistant-director, dancer and choreographer for Francois Berdeaux, Pascale Simon, Christophe Haleb and Sylvain Groud. Performer during live concerts for different groups, she met the composer Vincent Taurelle. The creation of collective AR with Sonia Duchesne and Maud Chabanis, composer, is the tool of a crossover of artistic expression. Styx, a project moving deliberately to travel from one context to another and be hosted by a wide range of structures is born of these meetings. She is now collaborating with Olivier Dubois, Xavier Kim, and the National Ballet of Marseille.

Fred Blin

After some time spent in the world of digital electronics, Fred started making soundtracks for the theater and for multimedia performances in Taiwan. After completing a training period at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales in Paris, he composed several electro-acoustic pieces and scores for shows directed by Lin Yuan Shang, with whom he collaborated from 1996 to 2004. Followed by Feng Shui (2006), Mui Cheuk Yin and Daniel Yeung, City Contemporary Dance Company (Hong Kong), House (2006), Wang Yannan (jou Pkin), Bubble Airlines (2007), Yang Wei Chen (Avignon, France and Taiwan), LOT.US (2008), Mui Cheuk Yin and Priscilla Leung (Germany and Hong Kong).

Alongside musical composition, Fred has also been working towards the elaboration of interactive systems based on light/motion sensors. This research gave rise to Construct (1999), an electro-acoustic piece for a dancer and an interactive device. And many installations as Draw Your Own City (2006), presented in Beijing in Dashanzi International Art Festival. Or the documentary road-movie set in China titled Do we have an Understanding? (2009)

Benjamin Guillet

A juggler and electronic musician, Benjamin began to create lighting effects in the late 1990s. He worked in collaboration with Ludor Citrik and Laurent Chanel in particular, as well as for street companies, and also took part in the organization of festivals such as Les Jeunes Pousses and Ceux d'En-Face in Saulx-les-Chartreux and has created designs for the Cafe de la Danse in Paris.

Benoit Bolland-Montgrand

Born in Lyon, Benoit has lived in Marseille since 1994. Alongside his work as an anthropologist he has also created street juggling shows and practices photography.

He has worked in theater and dance since 1998 and has performed the duties of stage manager for Ballet Preljocaj, the Marseille Festival, Underground Theatre Dakiling, Theatre Gypsies or La Criée and music group Poum Tchack. He is passionate about sailing boats and he is currently pre-occupied building a cultural project on the sea for "Marseille Capital European de la culture 2013."

ARTIST INFORMATION