Ex Nihilo is a contemporary dance company that co-directed by Anne Le Batard and Jean-Antoine Bigot. Over the years, it has brought together a team of artists around a commun desire: to make public space a place of inspiration, of creation, and of outreach for dance.
Ex Nihilo has been touring several shows from its repertoire in France and internationally for more than 20 years. Convinced that creation is a driving force of human and collective adventures, the company is committed to long-term cooperation projects with accomplices in France and abroad.
Since 2016, Ex Nihilo has been the lead partner in SHAPERS, a Creative Europe training project for contemporary dance in public and singular spaces in the Euro-mediterranean region with a group of young dancers, with its partners Nassim el Raqs (Alexandria)/Momkin-espaces de possibles (Marseilles), the Centre Rézodanse – Egypte (Alexandria), l’Espace Darja (Casablanca), Mes de Danza (Sevilla), ZVRK (Sarajevo), in8 circle – maison de production (Marseilles). The training and artistic residencies throughout SHAPERS were led by Anne Le Batard, Jean Antoine Bigot and the company dancers Corinne Pontana and Rolando Rocha.
Since 2017, the company has moved to the Cité des arts de la rue in Marseilles, with the aim of producing and sharing its choreographic creations on a local level, while remaining permanently linked to its international partners. Ex Nihilo is subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and Communication as a National Company having an international influence.
Two performing choreographers
Anne Le Batard & Jean-Antoine Bigot
After performing in France and Belgium, Anne Le Batard and Jean-Antoine Bigot created their own dance company in 1994 in which they research and explore the relationships between dance and urban or natural landscapes through singular choreographic projects. Both share the same desire to escape from the usual frameworks by using dance as a ‘language’ to meet inhabitants and locations. Favoring teamwork, they have developped a specific writing process involving a close complicity with dancers Corinne Pontana, Rolando Rocha and Anne Reymann , musician Pascal Ferrari, visual artist Martine Derain. In parallel, they initiate new collaborations with young dancers.
Anne Le Batard, has developed a choreographic writing process focused on responsiveness, from immersion periods on site. Her approach to dance is linked to her practice of photography and video. Jean Antoine’s art works – drawing and painting – resonate with his dance. He designs the scenography of the dance pieces.