“Creating from the soul”
Fanny Sage is a beautiful dancer who is working as a dancer in Peeping Tom and also worked as dancer and choreographer in different companies, for publicity of big brands, video-clips for amazing artists such as Stromae or Elton John and shorts film for the Opéra de Paris or feature films, such as La Danseuse.
-You have a really outstanding career: you are working as a dancer in Peeping Tom and you also worked as dancer and choreographer in different companies, for publicity of big brands, video-clips for amazing artists such as Stromae or Elton John and shorts film for the Opéra de Paris or feature films, such as La Danseuse. What is the key of all your successes?
“When i see it written on a page it always surprises me «it is really me who did it». I never think about after or I never put pressure on myself, I just go with the flow, I train , I learn , I listen, and I meet beautiful people, and the best happens!
-You joined Peeping Tom in 2020. Even in this short period of time, what fascinated you the most about the work in the company?
“Peeping Tom is my favorite company for a long time, I love their particular univers they create. And for me, they mixed perfectly arts inside their pieces, they break the borders between dance/theater/cinema…”
-What fascinates you about the connection between dance and theatre? In which way theatre can be important in dance?
“I don’t make a difference , I mean when I dance I play, when I play I dance... my body, my face, my emotions are connected, so it’s mostly a question of intensity. For cinema or theater I put more in my emotions and face/eyes, if I have to dance all of this can explode in movements.”
-How were you able to develop your artistry through your career?
“I have no career plan. It is maybe strange but my art is most spiritual and instinctive. I never had the feeling of “working”. What I built and created came from my soul.
-You worked in video-clips, short films and films, for commercials or theatre. What is the importance of video in dance today? What does video can add to dance?
“Video is a very beautiful way to cheat. I mean you can cut or hide or have different points of focus on you...so many skills that can’t be possible on stage are possible in videos. You can’t lie on stage ! After, I very consider the camera as a partner , I dance with, I look at it with real emotions. I am happy that now we see a lot of dance everywhere ,commercials, movies, music videos: i hope it will bring people in theaters, because a video shows only 5% of dance compared to a dance performance on stage.”
-You have been a dancer and choreographer both for companies and shorts/film. What is the difference between video and theatre? How does your approach change?
“The process is different more in the timing: creation could be 2 months and video 2 days. In the creation of a piece you take the time to go deeply , with questions, inspirations, and questions again. In the video, you have to see immediately what works or not.”
-How much do you think is important in the process of researching and improvising?
“In life I often say that we already have the answer inside, the questions are just fears. So in the process of improvisation , you just say that truth.”
-What are you searching for in other dancers?
“When I am touched by a dancer, it is not a question of perfect technique, it's mostly that when I am watching him dancing I see that he is telling a story, he is somewhere and dreaming of something and sharing it with me. It’s mostly a question of connection. After I am so inspired by Pina Bausch who made everyone dance, from young to old, non-dancers, I think everybody is interested if we take time to search inside.”
-Why do we need dance in today’s society?
“Maybe dance means freedom...and it’s what we need! “
-Can you give some advice to young dancers?
“Inspiration maybe doesn't come from instagram or tiktok, but from real life , listening to people and nature, open books, travel, work hard, enjoy!”
Thank you so much Fanny for this beautiful opportunity!