7necessities

In 1996 Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten wrote their artistic manifest Les sept nécessités. This ‘dogma’, of which the articles are stated in French - “because Il faut que… so much more strongly expresses necessity”, is an attempt to capture dance in words. In the manifest they laid the basis for a dance language that goes back to the inner necessities of the dancing body, an inner awareness of time and space that is stored in the deep memory of the body. Today, the manifest has not been diminished in currency or relevance and it still serves as a source of inspiration for the continuous development and deepening understanding of the work.

1. Il faut que je vous dise que mon corps est curieux de tout et moi: je suis mon corps
It is necessary for me to tell you that my body is curious about everything and I am my body
2. Il faut que je vous dise que je ne suis pas seul
It is necessary for me to tell you that I am not alone
3. Il faut que je vous dise que je peux contrôler mon corps et en même temps jouer avec lui
It is necessary for me to tell you that I can control my body and play with it at the same time
4. Il faut que je vous dise que mon corps m’échappe
It is necessary for me to tell you that my body is escaping
5. Il faut que je vous dise que je peux multiplier mon corps
It is necessary for me to tell you that I can multiply my body
6. Il faut que je vous dise qu’il faut que vous tourniez la tête
It is necessary for me to tell you that you have to turn your head
7. Il faut que je vous dise que je vous abandonne et que je vous laisse ma statue
It is necessary for me to tell you that I am leaving you and I am giving you my statue