COLLECTIF XY
Le Pas du Monde
Suitable for 8+
INITIATIVES D'ARTISTES
1h05
By observing the body in movement the same way one might watch nature as it changes, acrobats of Collectif XY grapple with the metamorphoses of living things and the passage of time in this poetic, musical spectacle.
After Möbius, a work created in collaboration with Rachid Ouramdane, in which the collective re-enacted the mysterious flight of hundreds of starlings in an orchestrated ballet, XY now explores our relationship to the living world and to how we keep time. Lifts and acrobatic flights thus express and combine two notions of time: that of a human life, with its emotions and transformations from childhood to old age, and that of nature, whose rhythms are so much larger than our own. What is time to a mountain, a forest, a river? How can this be visualised and shown at the scale of a human life? Le Pas du Monde (The Pace of the World) forms, transforms, and deforms human columns of acrobats who shift imperceptibly from one posture to another, like the slow erosion of a mountain peak, and who then also engage in sudden transformations, pyramids of stone-bodies collapsing into loose gravel. A sophisticated setup of light, sound, breath, and voices (of the circus performers and of two singers) creates dreamlike landscapes.
The performances on 14, 15 and 16 November take place as part of the Nuit du Cirque, an international event organised by Territoires de Cirque, with the support of the Ministry of Culture.
The performance contains strobe lighting effects that may cause visual discomfort for some audience members.
Cultural action et mediation
La Villette is pleased to collaborate this autumn with the XY collective across the entire Île-de-France region.
Together, the teams are meeting with more than 1,500 participants (students, teachers, adults, blind children, beneficiaries of the Envols association) to offer them impromptu performances, training sessions, workshops, encounters, or backstage access.
La Villette would like to thank all the partners who make this work possible.
Collective creation Airelle Caen, Alejo Bianchi, Alice Noël, Amaia Valle, Antonio Terrones y Hernandez, Camille de Truchis, Clémence Gilbert, Consuelo Burgos, Cyril Héritier, Denis Dulon, Diego Ruiz Moreno, Etienne Revenu, Florian Sontowski, Guillaume Sendron, Hamza Benlabied, Julie Calbete, Kritonas Anastasopoulos, Oded Avinathan, Pedro Guerra, Raphaela Olivo, « Tuco » Hage Meany, Virginie Benoist Musical direction and vocal composition Virginie Benoist Sound design Jack McWeeny Lighting design Éric Soyer Costume design Céline Perrigon assisted by Ophélie Parmentier Artistic collaborations Julie Calbete, Fanny Soriano, Maya Zimmerlin Dramaturgical support Olivia Burton Production management Antoine Billaud, Johanna Autran assisted by Alicia Gicquel Stage Manager Jérôme Fèvre Sound Operator Jack McWeeny, Aude Pétiard (alternating) Lighting Operator Aliénor Lebert / Clara Boulis Valence (alternating)
Production XY Residencies Le Phénix scène nationale Valenciennes – Pôle européen de création; Tandem, Scène nationale (Hippodrome de Douai); Le Bateau Feu, Scène nationale Dunkerque; Théâtre du Beauvaisis, Scène nationale, Beauvais; Le Volcan, Scène nationale du Havre; La Brèche – Cherbourg, Pôle national cirque en Normandie; Circa, Pôle national cirque, Auch
Coproductions Le Phénix scène nationale Valenciennes – Pôle européen de création; Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse, Paris; Maison de la danse, Lyon; Le Volcan, Scène nationale du Havre; EPPGHV, Parc de La Villette, Paris; Tandem, Scène nationale (Hippodrome de Douai); Théâtres de Compiègne; Maison de la Culture d’Amiens, Scène nationale; La Comédie de Clermont, Scène nationale, Clermont-Ferrand; Château Rouge, Scène conventionnée, Annemasse; Scène nationale Carré-Colonnes, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles; Théâtre du Beauvaisis – Scène nationale, Beauvais; Le Bateau Feu, Scène nationale Dunkerque; Scène nationale Albi – Tarn; Espace 1789 de Saint-Ouen, scène conventionnée pour la danse; Festival Roma Europa (It.)
Special thanks City of Puget-Théniers / La Carrière, circus arts school in Saint-Barthélemy d’Anjou Support Ministère de la Culture au titre de l’aide nationale à la création pour les arts du cirque; Région Hauts-de-France, for projects of cultural and artistic outreach With the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
XY is supported by the Ministry of Culture / DRAC Hauts-de-France under a multi-year agreement.
Since 2017, the collective has been artist-in-residence for all its projects at Le Phénix, Scène nationale pôle européen de création – Valenciennes. Since 2021, it has also been associated with Chaillot – Théâtre National de la Danse – Paris, and since 2025, with Théâtre du Beauvaisis, Scène nationale – Beauvais. The collective has also been supported since 2016 by the BNP Paribas Foundation.
Vidéo © Lumento
Vidéo © Lumento
Practical information
Espace Chapiteaux
Metro (subway)
Line 5 - Porte de Pantin (+10 min. walk)
Check the operational status of the elevators by calling 01 40 03 75 75
Metro (subway)
Line 7 - Corentin Cariou (+10 min. walk)
Metro (subway)
Line 7 - Porte de la Villette (+10 min. walk)
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de la Villette (+15 min. walk)
Bus
Lines 139, 150, 152 - Porte de la Villette
Parking
Q-Park
Philharmonie
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - La Villette
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - Conservatoire
Parking
Cité des Sciences
Bike Chap
Vélib' docking points
Bike racks
Bike racks are available inside the Espace Chapiteaux area. You may leave your electric bike there with the battery attached.
- Performance with audio description on Thursday, November 13 at 7 p.m.
- The performance contains strobe lighting effects that may cause visual discomfort for some audience members.
This venue is:
- Accessible to individuals with reduced mobility.
- Partially accessible to deaf individuals, depending on the programming.
- Partially accessible to individuals with hearing aids, depending on the programming.
- Partially accessible to visually impaired and blind individuals.
- Accessible to individuals with psychological, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities.
- On-site dining before and after the show, offered by Soré.
- On-site dining before and after the show, to be discovered HERE.
- The artistic and cultural education department at La Villette works with numerous schools and social sector organisations around this performance. During certain shows open to the general public, a significant number of young people may be welcomed into the audience.
Access to the venue is subject to a security check.
- The following are prohibited: all glass containers, sharp or blunt objects, weapons of any kind or replica weapons, animals except guide dogs for the blind, large luggage or bulky bags, and batteries for electric bikes or scooters.
- Security officers have sole discretion over which items are allowed or not.
- Bringing food into the performance hall is not permitted.
In collaboration with
With the support of
The performances on 14, 15 and 16 November take place as part of the
In partnership with the medias
Accessibility projects supported by
