The creations of dancer, choreographer and actress Lara Barsacq often move within the framework of dance history, enhanced by autobiographical elements or feminist and queer reflections.

The mythical figure of the nymph is that of a physical body that disappears and reappears, embodying the rhythm of erotic desire. She is at the center of one of Claude Debussy's most famous compositions, the Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894), which was inspired by a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé. The prelude does not tell a story, but evokes the lascivious, sensual atmosphere of a sunny afternoon. Vaslav Nijinsky's dance interpretation of the piece of music made dance history. A century later, choreographer and dancer Lara Barsacq explores this immortal image of the nymph as portrayed by men.

Barsacq and her ensemble question the eroticization of the human body. Together they create a hymn to the free body and to dance as a way of freeing oneself from traditional ideas about sexuality. They move in an explosion of sound in which the prelude disintegrates into electronic and synthesizer music until it is finally interpreted live by a classical ensemble. A sensual battle with tradition for a new erotic visual language.

After graduating in contemporary dance from the Conservatoire national de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), Lara Barsacq was a member of the Batsheva Company between 1992 and 1996. From 1994 to 2004, she devoted herself to choreography for her own projects, but also for the CNSMDP and professional companies. In 2002, she decided to focus on her career as a performer, curious to engage with other dance makers such as Benny Claessens, Lies Pauwels, Lisi Estaras and Jérôme Bel. Since 2016, Lara Barsacq has created four pieces: Lost in Ballets russes (2018), IDA don't cry me love (2019), Fruit Tree (2021) and La Grande Nymphe (2023).

In 2025, Lara Barsacq will launch a new project entitled Kassia Undead, inspired by the music of Kassia de Constantinople.
Lara Barsacq is Artist in Residence at the Théâtre de Liège (2024-2028) and at the Cité musicale-Metz (2024-2026).

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Image: Lara Barsacq, La Grande Nymphe © Stanislav Dobak