Alexis Jestin

In 2018, the choreographer launched the project LOOK WHAT THE WORLD DID TO US, a work of investigation and research exploring psycho-graphic movements related to isolation and social exclusion. This project combines pedagogical approaches with the creation of laboratories and processes that he leads with a wide range of both amateur and professional dancers across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

This journey, for which he was awarded the Laureate of La Villa Saigon 2020 and a residency at the R.E.D Arena Eina TANZ Residency in Norway, culminated in a solo performance that reflects the testimonies and memories collected during his artistic and human exploration. Over the course of this journey, he has worked with more than 500 dancers worldwide. An ongoing Art-venture, this project continues to create new chapters around the globe, still evolving today.

In the summer of 2021, Alexis became a laureate of the Royaumont Foundation, where he created the trio 36 Forms in collaboration with composer Lucie Nezri, which was presented at the opening of the Royaumont Festival. That same year, the choreographer was invited by the National Dance Company of Ecuador and its director, Roberto W. Rivera, to create Foreign Quest, a work for 16 dancers, presented to mark the company’s 45th anniversary. Later, in winter 2021, Alexis was invited to serve as guest choreographer for Danzen Colectivo in Quito, where he created the sextet La Piel Que Habito. In the fall of 2022, he produced and directed NHAY15, a performance featuring fifteen graduate dancers from the Truong TP Mua Conservatory in Saigon, Vietnam. Additionally, he was invited to create MerodeaDores, a work for 8 dancers, which was presented on International Dance Day at Espacio Vazio in Quito.

In the same year, the choreographer created DOG EAT DOG, I Loved to Hate You, an intense and radical autobiographical love duet that unfolds like a personal diary. This work was presented at KLAP Maison pour la danse in Marseille, the iconic city where the company is based and where the choreographer resides.

2023 promises to be a year of rich creation for the UNDERDOG Company, with three new pieces added to its repertoire: Mira, a quintet created in Cuba for the dancers of Espiral Danza de Matanzas; Memoria, a piece for amateurs to be presented in Montevideo, Uruguay; and SOLI-X-VERITA, a trio created for the Danzen Collective, which premiered on the stunning rooftop of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Quito, Ecuador. Looking ahead, 2025 holds great promise with the creation of the solo Redemption, which will be designed for dancer and musician Jamil Attar. In 2026, the choreographer will conclude an intimate creative journey with the solo Invicta, created for performer Eve Magot.