BORIS CHARMATZ / 10000 GESTURES

Costumes / Design & production / Client : Boris Charmatz

I designed the costumes for 10,000 Gestures as a reflection of our chaotic and singular contemporary reality.

For my work on Boris Charmatz’s 10,000 Gestures, I approached the costumes as a heterogeneous panoply. My goal was to move away from a uniform aesthetic to illustrate an exuberant and singular humanity.
For the 25 dancers, I curated a mix of disparate styles, ranging from basic underwear to highly sophisticated pieces. This includes graphic, contemporary elements like faux-denim leggings, joggers, panties, and boxer shorts, alongside more structured, colorful silhouettes. I also drew inspiration from traditional ballroom dance costumes, which I reinterpreted in ultra-stretch versions to allow for total freedom of movement and an off beat perspective.
Because this project was created during a period of terrorist attacks in Europe, it felt essential to anchor the aesthetic in that reality. I chose to have some performers wear GIGN-style (special forces) tactical gear, blending the violence of the outside world with the fragility of the stage.
Each outfit is designed to support the ephemeral nature of the piece: since no gesture is ever repeated, each dancer maintains a fleeting visual identity within this choreographic anti-museum. This project marks another chapter in my long-standing collaboration with Boris Charmatz, following our work together on danse de nuit.