What is the best thing that I love about my work? 

I have an extremely hybrid and unformatted profile: I’m a professional dancer and I’m also a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, with a degree in economics and a Master 2 in business law. I sometimes jokingly say that I’m a schizophrenic, because I evolve in worlds that are at opposite ends of the spectrum. And yet I find common ground between them, and that what I love ,which is human connection and transmission. The artistic and intellectual skills I’ve developed serve me in all my fields of action, giving me a 360-degree vision. Today, I fully embrace this profile, which is an immense asset.  I love contributing to creative processes and the energy that a joint project creates, I love the idea of experiencing something together, I love having contributed to making people feel good or better.

The other thing I like about my job is that I’m constantly pushing myself. 

What is my idea of happiness? 

Being in tune with yourself and being able to make your own choices in complete freedom. Love and be loved for who you really are. 

What is my greatest fear? 

-Losing my freedom: the freedom to be who I want, to make my own choices. 

-Lack of loyalty is also something that shatters me and makes me shut down. 

-I’ve also always been afraid of disappointing people. I suffer from impostor syndrome. To overcome this anxiety, I’m a very hard worker.

-Time passing, I have too many desires for a single life

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? 

-My impatience: I need things to be moving fast all the time. I’m too often frustrated by being out of step with my colleagues.  

-My logic of anticipation: I often have too global a vision of what’s going on in my life, I anticipate everything that can happen and develop strategies. This sometimes prevents me from being in the present moment, so I tend to worry too much.

Which living persons in my  profession do i most admire? Akram khan, Sylvie Guilhem , Kayla Mak

What is my greatest extravagance? Assuming I don’t fit the mold . It’s played tricks on me and attracted a lot of animosity and jealousy, but I now see it as an asset and a marker of differentiation. it gives me an immense capacity for adaptation

On what occasion would I lie ? To protect myself or those I love.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? 

I regret that the performative side has taken over from the emotional. In dance, I need to feel capsized by ruptures, a look, a body that speaks with all its soul, emotions that overwhelm, silence and vulnerability. Today, we value hypertechnicity, hyperflexibility … it impresses me because I know the work it requires, but it doesn’t twist my stomach, it doesn’t give me shivers like someone who dances with their soul, their heart and their story, who lays themselves bare.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? 

When I dance on stage, when the emotion is there, when I feel in my body and therefore in my movements the emotion of the musicians and singers. Sometimes there are purely magical, unexpected moments of communion.

If I could, what would I change about myself? 

I’d trust myself more and quickly gain perspective on people and events. I’d be less vulnerable to my external environment. It would save me an enormous amount of time and energy. 

What is my greatest achievement in work? To be able to fuse academic and folk styles, and ultimately create a style that is uniquely my own. 

Where would I most like to live? In the warmth of the sea: in Italy or Greece 

What is my most treasured possession?

  A very strong and healthy body, my hypersensitivity that exhausts me but also galvanizes me. 

What is my most marked characteristic? My smile, my laughter, my willpower, my enthusiasm, my constant desire to progress and try new things, my ability not to rest on my laurels , my ability to synthesize

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? The little streets and squares of Paris, the banks of the Seine 

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? The Russian restaurant Zakouski, especially for the atmosphere and the chance to meet fabulous artists and dance and sing with them. 

What books influenced my life and how? I can’t think of any one book in particular. I read a lot during my teenage years. The power of words on the imagination is inexhaustible and irreplaceable. I have a taste for well-constructed sentences and clearly formulated ideas, with a rich vocabulary and imagery. 

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen to on my last day?

 I’d like to hear all the gypsy voices I love so dearly take up the traditional repertoire, sing and play together, and dance of course. 

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Penthesilee, Queen of the Amazons ( for her fighting spirit and sense of sacrifice ) Lisbeth Salander in Millenium ( for her intelligence and quirkiness ), Antigone ( for her quest for the absolute ), Esmeralda of NOTRE DAME DE PARIS 

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? 

 I love everyday heroes. People who fight at their own level to be free, to express their opinions, to relay the voices of those who can no longer be heard. I like committed people , with ideals like Simone Veil or Robert Badinter.

 I admire Afghan women or any oppressed women who fight to stay on their feet, to escape a violent spouse, to protect their children, disabled people who pursue their lives and dreams despite everything…

My heroes are people of action who refuse injustice, fatality and determinism. 

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? 

–Amadeus of Milos Forman , for total immersion in Mozart’s music . 

-“Les tziganes montent au ciel”, a very imperfect and outdated film, but one of my initiation rites into the world of gypsy art.

What role play stories in my life and work?

 of course, stories nourish me and the roles I play. They develop my imagination, allow me to approach a subject from different angles and give consistency to my roles. They also enable me to understand different points of view and to put myself “in the shoes of”, and thus to be more tolerant.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? That ties in with what I was saying about being in action. I’m very demanding in terms of not having to put up with things, of giving myself the means to achieve my goals. I’m convinced that you always have to try to move forward, to do, to build. I often say “take 1 step and life will take you 100”. I can’t stand the idea of others determining my own story. They can participate in it, influence it, nourish it, but not dictate it to you. Everyone has to take power over their own story. It’s these famous concepts of freedom and independence that are so dear to me.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? The same one that makes me laugh so much and helps me feel lighter

Which people or companies would I like to work with ? 

I’d like to collaborate with violinist Roby Lakatos, dancing live to his music, which moves me so much. 

I would dream of dancing gypsy in an institution such as the Paris Opera. I’d love to dance among the artists of Moscow’s Romen theater, to be at the heart of their energy.

 I’d also like to develop Gypsy dance in Japan.

 I’d love to work with Bartabas and Stephane Eicher. 

 I’d love to collaborate with Romani design, a Gypsy clothing brand, and Hermes too.

What project am I looking forward to work on? I have several projects in preparation in Norway and the Baltic States, which take time but are very exciting. I’m also working on projects with some extraordinary musicians, but I’m not talking about them yet, out of superstition.

Where can you see me or my work? At the moment, mainly at festivals with groups of musicians and singers. In Norway where I am actually  touring alone.

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? It represents reality. I can’t live without passion, without living my art with intensity. There was a time in my life when I thought I was going to live without it, and that I could live with it. My passion came back for me even more intensely, viscerally, and imposed itself as a central and indisputable element.

Which creative professionals should Peter invite to tell their story?  Le duo Pur Sang, Georgia Yves, Sharon Sultan, Solfrid Molland, Sonia Loinsworth, Natalya Kulishenko

How can you contact me? Sur facebook : Cecil Ka  and instagram : cecile_joseph