Impromptus

Casting & credits

Spontaneous and unique performances created over the course of a day, in contact with the exhibited works

Concept and choreography Cindy Van Acker

Interpretation the cast and number of performers change with each performance. To date, the following performers have taken part in the project: Stéphanie Bayle, Matthieu Chayrigues, Lucie Eidenbenz, Yuta Ishikawa, Tilouna Morel, Cindy Van Acker, Elia Van Acker, Daniela Zaghini

A project by Cindy Van Acker / Cie Greffe initiated at Fondation L’Hermitage – Lausanne

Impromptus were part of the 2025 edition of Sélection Suisse en Avignon

About

Following her solo choreographic explorations of the works of Léon Spilliaert at Fondation L’Hermitage (Lausanne) in 2023, Van Acker presented visitors with a series of made-to-measure performances. Made in the moment, built on a shared experience of close proximity, these performances gave rise to high-quality exchanges with audiences who encountered the choreographer’s dance by chance, some of them for the first time.

This experience gave rise to the Impromptus project. For the following years, Van Acker will aim to develop this new form more widely. The opportunity to experiment freely and meet other audiences, in places not dedicated to dance, is particularly appealing. She also sees a strong potential for transmission in the development of this new spontaneous practice, since it takes us back to certain fundamentals of her language, without them being trapped in a pre-defined framework.

With Impromptus, Van Acker ventures in new territories. She experiments with a new relationship to creation, in a simplified approach to space and audience. Taking a step back, holding space for composition and play in the here and now, to create a small piece with the utmost care and lightness.

In 2025-2027, Fondation L’Hermitage will be the privileged playground for this choreographic experiment. Other venues will also welcome Impromptus performances, depending on what encounters, desires, and possibilities arise.