February 20, 2009
Retouramont Company
Based in Paris, France, the company was formed in 1995 by dancer-choreographers Geneviève Mazin and Fabrice Guillot, both of whom come from contemporary/classical dance backgrounds. Since then Retouramont has created and toured with 12 original works, many of them site-specific.
Fabrice Guillot
Poetic choreographer, designer and dancer Fabrice is a founder member of French company, Retouramont (1990). Before that he worked with the Roc In Lichen Company, and with Kitsou Dubois. In 1992 he created his first ‘public space’ performance, on top of a building in Paris.
Fabrice is one of the collaborators behind LIMBO
Riebeeck Square
Riebeeck Square has been a parking lot for several centuries – originally it was called the “Boerenplein” because farmers bringing fresh produce from the platteland outspanned there. Later, under British rule, it became known as “Hottentot Square”, and up to 1847 criminals were publicly flogged here, till complaints about the malefactors’ screeching forced the authorities to inflict punishment elsewhere. It features South Africa’s first purpose-built theatre, completed in 1800 at such cost that the then governor was fired – it’s said he used to sit in his coach with a certain Cape damsel, nibbling sweetmeats and watching the theatre going up. Subsequently it became a school for slave-children and eventually St Stephen’s Church, the only Dutch Reformed church bearing a saint’s name, supposedly in honour of the disciple who was stoned to death because rebellious slaves once stoned the church during a Sunday service.
Infecting the city
