LOOK WHAT THE WORLD DID TO US
LOOK WHAT THE WORLD DID TO US is a global pedagogical initiative and creative process led by Alexis Jestin, choreographer and artistic director of the UNDERDOG Project. Since 2018, this project has engaged a wide audience of professional dancers and amateurs across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Through a series of investigative works, it explores movements tied to the exploration of territories shaped by isolation and social exclusion.
"Possessing all paths, he possesses none". Sophocles
I seek to question the figure of the wanderer, unfolding in the streets where the crowd gathers, and the individual is dispersed, viewing urban space as a network of cells—cells that surround us, yet from which we must also break free. The idea of enclosure will serve as the starting point for my artistic journey, inspired by the writings of situationist philosopher, poet, and writer Guy-Ernest Debord, particularly his *Theory of Drift*.
Drifting, as Debord defines it, is a technique of moving hastily through different environments. This concept is inseparable from the recognition of psychogeographical effects and the embrace of playful, constructive behavior. Loneliness, withdrawal, and "schizophrenic" states—those that can arise from solitary wandering in an urban landscape—do not necessarily lead to isolation or social exclusion. Instead, for me, these conditions are fertile grounds for contemplation, poetic introspection, desire, and creative inspiration.
A thorough, authentic investigation will take place in the field. Experimentation will become the driving force of the creative process. I will intentionally place myself in situations of testing, failure, and triumph to stimulate new realms of perception, exploration, reflection, and observation. Through this process, I will appropriate these phenomena, enabling us to embark on an artistic exile.
For this human and artistic journey, Alexis Jestin was named Laureate of the La Villa Saigon Residency 2020 in Vietnam and held a residency at the R.E.D Arena Eina TANZ Residency in Norway. His work has been supported by prestigious institutions such as the National Center for Contemporary Dance in Angers, the National Choreographic Center of Rilleux, and the National Choreographic Center of Grenoble.
To date, the choreographer has collaborated with a diverse range of organizations, including the Laboratory of Physical Theater in Montreuil, France, the Department of Dance at the Warsaw Dance Academy in Poland, the Academy of Dance in Hanoi, Vietnam, the professional training program COLINE in Istres, France, the University of Fine Arts in Barranquilla, Colombia, the Saigon Conservatory in Vietnam, the University of San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador, the Contemporary Art Center of Quito, and the National Dance Company of Ecuador.
Join us as a partner and let’s create our own unique experience!
Today, this ArtVenture has engaged over 500 dancers worldwide, all of whom have joined the journey in the studio. It continues to evolve, driven by a deep curiosity to share and explore the vibrant, diverse scenes of contemporary art and dance across the globe. With each new encounter, it creates original chapters, deeply connected to the socio-cultural richness and diversity that define us.
A typical day in the studio
Each work session will begin with a warm-up—a body awakening—along with an exploration of perception through a somatic journey. Lying on the floor, we will cultivate awareness of the volumes that make up our body in relation to the space around us. We will engage with these spatial concepts by revealing the interstitial spaces, both infinite and infinitesimal, that exist inside and outside of us, as we immerse ourselves in a four-dimensional experience: three spatial dimensions + one temporal dimension.
Throughout the session, we will be guided by the theme of a dense, material-rich space, introducing the concept of open and closed doors. These will serve as gateways into a dynamic environment emerging from the spine, eventually leading us into an upright position. The notion of continuous organic and fluid movement will be a central focus throughout the session.
Through these processes, we will embark on a deep exploration of self-awareness through the body. Gradually, we will foster a shared connection of moods and energies, investigating various qualities related to the individual, the group, space, and universality.
This will shape the way we explore movement, expanding our perception through multiple angles. The process will build in intensity, reaching high-speed, instinctive movement in a playful engagement with risk and physicality. Total control, mastery, and confidence will emerge through agility, flexibility, and the ability to rapidly adapt. We will harness this energy to surrender to fatigue, returning to a place of inner awareness that grounds us.
From this journey and moment of reconnection with our sensations and emotions, a personal, fictional narrative will emerge—one that we will take the time to share with the group. The laboratory will then evolve through three main phases or axes.
First, we will begin with a process of improvisation. This phase will guide us through various bodily states and theatrical games, establishing a foundation for the compositional techniques to follow. During this exploratory period, we will encounter key checkpoints that will take us beyond the psychological dimensions of movement, unlocking deeper physical resources.
Our systems of functioning and our personalities will be both challenged and engaged, and the directions given will push us to create new and varied registers of expression. The composition work will begin with a research process rooted in everyday life, followed by an exploration of thematic gestures. Together, we will decide on the common qualities we wish to highlight. We will internalize and project our different energies, movements, colors, and territories—each linked to personal sensations and emotions—to generate movement, dance, processions, and languages.
Next, we will use spontaneity and immediacy to create a framework for releasing concrete material. Layer by layer, we will develop complexity by revisiting the choices made by the artists throughout the process. From these explorations, spontaneous experiences, and generated materials, we will create, reveal, and define a form.
Finally, I will apply my choreographic tools in the moment to organize everything into a shared space with coherent timing, bringing all elements together in a unified whole.
"I am deeply committed to the conviction that my work on LOOK WHAT THE WORLD DID TO US must play a universal role and strive to be rediscovered through new perspectives and approaches. I am constantly driven to write a new chapter, shaped by the strong and unique identity of the environment and the group of individuals I encounter for the first time, always in relation to the contemporary dance scene, which is rooted in a commitment to excellence. It is both an honor and a great opportunity for me, and for the project, to humbly open new doors by collaborating with talented artists and dancers across borders, drawing inspiration from their unique socio-cultural contexts."
AGENDA: Creations - Workshops Labs
2025
Register on workshops.underdog@gmail.com
Open Workshop LOOK. Marseille FRANCE 24 + 25 April KLAP Maison pour la danse de Marseille
Open Workshop LOOK. Paris FRANCE 28 + 29 + 30 April CROMOT
2023
*Creation for 40 amateurs dancers MEMORIA Museo de las Migraciones Montevideo Uruguay 11 September
*Creation for 5 dancers MIRA Espiral Danza Matanzas Cuba Teatro Sauto 29+30 April
2022
*Creation of the solo LOOK WHAT THE WORLD DID TO HER for the choreographer Nhung Vo
Gallery Quynh Saigon Vietnam 24 September
*Creation for 15 dancers NHAY15 Conservatory Truong Tp Mua Saigon Vietnam 16 September
Workshop LOOK. Dancenter Saigon Vietnam 10 September
*Creation for 8 dancers MERODEADORES Espacio Vazio Ecuador Quito 29-30 April
2021
*Creation for 16 dancers Foreign Quest Compañia National Danza Ecuador Quito 16-17-18 December
Workshop LOOK. Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Quito Ecuador 11 December
Workshop LOOK. Casa Cultural La Nube Quito Ecuador 27/28 November
Workshop LOOK. Universidad San Francisco Quito Ecuador 15-19 November
Workshop LOOK. La Fabrique de la Danse Nantes France 12-17 July
Workshop LOOK. Studio Akimode Valencia Spain 10-15 June
Workshop LOOK. Professional Training program Coline Istres France 22-26 March
2020
Workshop LOOK. Zoom version. Universidad de Barranquilla Colombia 18 junio-18 September
*Creation For 15 dancers NHAY15 Conservatory Truong Tp Mua Saigon Vietnam 6-12 January
Reported at September 2022 / Covid-19)
*Creation of the solo LOOK WHAT THE WORLD DID TO HER. for the choreographer Nhung Vo Saigon Vietnam 13-18 January Reported at September 2022 / Covid-19)
2019
Workshop LOOK. National Dance Academy Hanoi Vietnam 14 December
Workshop LOOK. R.E.D Arena Residency Oslo Norway 30 September-12 October
Workshop LOOK. Laboratory Physical Theater Paris France 6-11 May
Workshop LOOK. Centre National de Danse Contemporaine D’Angers France 22-27 April
Workshop LOOK. École Écrit des corps Lançonnais France 30-31 March
Workshop LOOK. Warsaw Dance Department Poland 18-23 March
Workshop LOOK. Dance Center Saigon Vietnam 18-19 January
Workshop LOOK. Conservatory Truong TP Mua Saigon Vietnam 14/15/16 January
Workshop LOOK. Dance Center Saigon Vietnam 12-13 January
Workshop LOOK. Low Rider Studio Hanoi Vietnam 22-23 December
2018
Workshop LOOK. National Dance Academy Hanoi Vietnam 21 December
Workshop LOOK. Kinergie studio Hanoi Vietnam 15-16 December