Skip to content
Navigated to Philippe Decouflé
© Hors-Champs

Philippe Decouflé

«As a child, I dreamt of becoming a comic strip artist. Drawing is usually the start of my creative process. I just throw out ideas and sketch out pictures that pass through my head. My culture is comics, musicals, nightclub dancing, and also Oskar Schlemmer, the Bauhaus choreographer. Discovering photos of characters from his Triadisches Ballett was a revelation for me. I had always wanted to work with simple geometric shapes like cubes and triangles. I liked seeing how these lines and volumes behaved with each other. Alwin Nikolaïs taught me the importance of light and costume, and the confidence you need to mix everything together. Technically, it was Merce Cunningham who taught me the most about dance. I was taking video courses he was giving in New York. It was fascinating. That’s where I learned how to solve problems of distance and geometry, and the basic principles of optics and movement. Tex Avery inspired me a lot in thinking up gestures that are almost impossible to do. I’ve always kept something of that desire to create something strange, extreme or crazy in my movements. I’m looking for a dance style that’s off-balance, always on the verge of toppling over. With influences like the Marx Brothers, for example, and in particular Groucho Marx, I’ve developed a taste for naughty risk-taking, and comic repetition of mistakes.»

CHOREGRAPHER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

• For the Compagnie DCA
Stéréo Deluxe - 2023
Stéréo - 2022
Shazam Version 2.0.2.1
Danses tricotées. Ou pas - 2020
Tout doit disparaître - 2019 Nouvelles Pièces Courtes - 2017 Courtepointe - 2016
WIEBO - 2015
Contact - 2014
Beaux-arts - 2013
Entrée Interdite - 2013
Opticon - 2012
Panorama - 2012
Swimming poules et flying coqs - 2011 Octopus - 2010
Sombreros - 2008
Cœurs croisés - 2007
Solo - 2003
Sombrero - 2006
IIris (2iris) - 2004
Iris - 2003
Cyrk 13 - 2002
Triton 2ter - (1999)
Triton 2 et les Petites Tritures (1998)
Shazam! - 1998
Marguerite - 1997
Decodex - 1995
Denise - 1995
Petites Pièces Montées - 1993 Triton - 1990
Technicolor - 1988
Codex - 1986
Les Danses folkloriques martiennes - 1985
Tranche de cake - 1984
Vague café - 1983

• For others
Hermès Parade, for the Hermes International group - Séoul, Los Angeles, 2022-2024
Le Mondial du tatouage, Philippe Decouflé was the patron of the 9th edition of the show at La Villette, 2019
Watashi wa Shingo (My Name is Shingo), musical from Kazuo Umezu’s manga- Yokohama, 2016 Paramour, musical for the Cirque du Soleil - New-York, Lyric Theater, 2016
Iris for the Cirque du Soleil - Los Angeles, Kodak Theater, 2011
Désirs, for the Crazy Horse de Paris, 2009
La Mêlée des mondes during the World cup of Rugby - Saint-Denis, 2007
L’Autre Défilé with the Parc de la Villette - Paris, 2006
Tricodex with the National Ballet of the Lyon Opera - 2004/2005
La Cérémonie du 50e Festival International du Film de Cannes - 1997
L’Art en Parade with children workshop at the Georges Pompidou Center - Paris, 1997 Dora, le chat qui a vécu un million de fois, musical show - Tokyo, 1996
Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the XVI Olympic Winter Games- Albertville, 1992 Tutti for the Paris Opera - 1987

FILM DIRECTOR

• Short Films
Vivaldis - Oïbo/Compagnie DCA/Héliox/Canal + - 2019 Les beaux jaloux - Compagnie Oïbo, Canal + - 2010 IIris - Arte with Arte/Roussillon - 2005
Abracadabra - Arte, avec Arte/Roussillon - 1997
Le p’tit bal (film 35 mm, 4 mn) - 1994
Codex le film (film 16 mm, 26 mn) - 1987 Caramba! (film 35 mm, 8 mn) - 1986
Jump (video 1 pouce, 12 mn) - 1984
La voix des légumes (video 3/4, 6 mn) - 1983

• Video Clips
Théodore, Paul et Gabriel - 2015
Fine Young Cannibals - 1988
New Order - 1987

• DVD / VHS
Kaleïdoskop - 2004
Shazam! - 1998
Abracadabra - 1998
Decodex - 1996

• Advertisement
France Télécom, Loft-Seibu group, Polaroïd, Dior, Gervais, France 2

CHOREOGRAPHER
Submergée - long-métrage realised by Alanté Kavaïté - 2024
Jeanne - long-métrage réalisé par Bruno Dumont - 2019
Jeannette - film directed by Bruno Dumont - 2016
Visage - film directed by Tsai Ming-Liang - 2009
La Danse des Sabots - for Bleu, Blanc, Goude de Jean-Paul Goude and the Ceremony of the Bicentenary of the French Revolution - Paris, 1989.
Le dernier Chaperon Rouge - short-film directed by Jan Kounen - 1995

DANCER

For the choreographers:
Régine CHOPINOT (Grand Ecart, Swim One, Délices...) - 1982/1984 Karole ARMITAGE (Parafango) - 1982/1983
Alwin NIKOLAÏS (CNDC Angers) - 1981
Dominique BOIVIN (Road movie) - 2024
And in numerous other shows of the Compagnie DCA.

AWARDS

Concours Chorégraphique de Bagnolet First Price and Ministère de la Culture Price in 1983 Ministère de la Culture Price with Caramba! in 1987
International video-dance Price from the Vienna IMZ Festival with Codex in 1988
MTV Award and Gold disc for the New Order video clip at London in 1988
Silver Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival with the Polaroid advertising in 1989
SACD Dance Prize in 1992
Honorary citizen of Cartagena (Colombia) in 1992
7 d’Or Price for Best performance music with the Ceremonies of the Albertville & Savoie Winter Olympic Games in 1993
8th Victoires de la Musique Best television broadcasting with the Ceremonies of the Albertville & Savoie Winter Olympic Games in 1993
Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1994
Best choreographic film from the IMZ Opéra de Lyon Festival with Le p’tit bal in 1994
Villeurbanne Short Film Festival special mention with Le p’tit bal in 1994 Rencontres Internationales du Film de Genève public prize with Le p’tit bal in 1995 Grand prix National for the choreography from the Ministère de la Culture in 1995 Commandeur de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2015