Reviews

... to discover a little marvel of dance, full of inventiveness, emotion and magic. Gabriella Iacono & Grégory Grosjean, the two inspired authors of Du bout des doigts, perform a formidable odyssey through the history of dance, and not only.

Le Progrès

A one-hour dreamlike journey, revisiting the history of the 20th century in its moments of joy as well as its greatest horrors, while enjoying the great masterpieces of dance. The result is as powerful as it is stunning, ideal for introducing young audiences to the magic of live performance, but just as touching for more mature audiences thanks to its multiple interpretations.

Danses avec la plume

Their virtuoso hands are filmed live,offering a Lilliputian ballet experience with the grandeur of cinema. From Italian theater to Harlem hiphop, from industrial techno to Maurice Béjart's whip-smart pirouettes and musicals, the whole family can enjoy this wildly original little gem.

Tribune de Lyon

Magical Gabriella Iacono and Grégory Grosjean gave the dance a completely new twist with their bodies, especially with their fingertips. In mini-scenes, transmitted live on camera to the big screen, their fingers danced the memory of the world.

Liechtensteiner Volksblatt

About Du bout des doigts

A man and a woman dance together through time, experiencing the world’s greatest events; iconic dance pieces from the 20th century are reimagined on a miniature scale, performed in simple yet evocative settings. 

Thanks to these miniature theaters, the dancers revisit ballet, lindy hop, musicals, contemporary dance and hip hop through the lens of a camera. 

With their bodies... starting with their hands and fingertips, they stride across famous scenes from Broadway to Paris, from Brussels to Harlem.

As we follow their odyssey through time, we discover the adventures of this couple who fall in love, argue, ignore each other, rebel against each other, play, and above all, dance together. 

The language of contemporary dance can sometimes seem hermetic or challenging for newcomers. We wanted to develop a story without text in order to introduce the audience to the richness of choreographic expression and to give free rein to the imagination.

Credits

Choreographers/Directors: Gabriella Iacono, Grégory Grosjean

Cast: Gabriella Iacono, Grégory Grosjean

Cinematographer/Cameraman: Julien Lambert

Set Designer: Grégory Grosjean

Set Builders: Grégory Grosjean, Stefano Serra

Lighting Designers: Julien Lambert, Pierre de Wurstemberger

Sound Editing: Theo Jegat

General Stage Manager/Technical Director: Denis Strykowski

Stage Manager: Didier Rodot

Video Editing: Marjorie Cauwel

Produced by Madebyhands

Co-produced by Le grand R scène nationale de la Roche-sur-Yon (FR).

With the support of: De Grote Post (Ostende - BE), Brussels Art Melting Pot (BAMP) (Bruxelles- BE), Archipel 19 (Berchem-Sainte-Agathe - BE).

With the support of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service Général de la Création Danse, Wallonie Bruxelles international, and Wallonie Bruxelles International. 

Presented by Performance Infinity

About Gabriella Iacono and Grégory Grosjean

Gabriella studied at the AND in Rome and the LCDS in London. In Italy, she danced for choreographers such as Roberta Garrison, Roberta Gelpi, and Enzo Cosimi. She also choreographed with Michele Pogliani for Balletto di Toscana. She then joined the "X-Group Project," part of Brussels 2000 European City of Culture. From 2001 to 2004, she was with Charleroi-Danses company under Frédéric Flamand’s direction. In 2005, Gabriella participated in  projects with several artists and choreographed a duet for Jo Kanamori's "No.Mad.ic Project 2" festival in Tokyo. From 2006 to 2019, she collaborated with Michèle-Anne De Mey on various pieces, such as Lamento—solo for Gabriella and Cold Blood, alongside the film director Jaco Van Dormael. She also worked with Thierry Smits and participated in William Forsythe's installation Human Rights. In 2019, she co-founded Madebyhands with Grégory Grosjean. 

Grégory was a member of the Ballet of the Royal Opera of Wallonia in Liège, Belgium. He also performed as a semi-soloist for Star Dance Company (Tokyo) in The Nutcracker, choreographed by Sir Peter Wright.

He joined Michèle Anne De Mey’s company in Brussels and performed in creations such as Utopia, Raining Dogs, and 12 Easy Waltzes, a duet with Michèle Anne De Mey. He later became an assistant to Michèle Anne De Mey at Charleroi-Danses. Grégory is a member of the creative collective "Kiss & Cry" with Jaco Van Dormael and Michèle Anne De Mey. He participated in the play Human Rights by William Forsythe at the Kunsten Festival des Arts in Brussels. He created the show Du bout des doigts with Gabriella Iacono.

About Madebyhands

Gabriella Iacono and Grégory Grosjean were both initially trained in ballet before transitioning to contemporary dance. They have collaborated for other artists for over 18 years, working on stage, in rehearsal studios and on tour. Du bout des doigts is the first performance they have created together since the foundation of their company madebyhands in 2019 (Bruxelles, Belgium).