Patrick Germain-Thomas, professor in economics and management at Novancia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris, completed in 2010 a thesis in sociology under the supervision of Philippe Urfalino, entitled ‘Policies and market forces in contemporary dance in France (1975–2009)’. In June 2010, Editions L’attribut published a book based on this thesis, Contemporary dance: a successful revolution? His current research is pursuing new lines of enquiry, specifically around matters of cultural action, (audience involvement, conferences, courses and workshops) which are programmed to support choreographic performance seasons.


Patrick Germain-Thomas, professeur d’économie et de gestion à Novancia, Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris, ai soutenu en 2010 une thèse en sociologie intitulée « Politiques et marchés de la danse contemporaine en France (1975-2009) » effectuée sous la direction de Philippe Urfalino. Un livre issu de cette thèse a paru en juin 2012 aux éditions de l’Attribut : La Danse contemporaine, une révolution réussie ? Il poursuit ces travaux de recherche, notamment à travers la préparation d’un nouveau terrain d’enquête portant de façon spécifique sur les opérations d’action culturelle (sensibilisation, conférences, stages et ateliers) accompagnant la programmation des spectacles chorégraphiques.

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Publications

Contemporising the past: envisaging the future

by Cheryl Stock AM & Patrick Germain-Thomas originally published on

This publication of 31 papers with authors from 13 countries takes as its focus the theme that was the title and driving force of the activities comprising the 2014 WDA Global Summit. The Summit embraced Contemporising the past: envisaging the future in an interconnection between theory and practice, as echoed in the Proceedings through papers by artist/scholars and artist/teachers. The Summit program featured 346 presenters across 38 countries and included: an international conference of 197 presentations; 31 showcase performances featuring 83 dancers; 34 masterclasses with 24 teachers and 650 participants; and a choreolab with mentors Robert Swinston and Germaine Acogny working with 4 emerging international choreographers and 38 dancers. In addition there were evening performances featuring the work of French companies including Robert Swinston’s Event and Olivier Dubois with his controversial work Tragedie. The principal aim of the Summit was to provide a supportive platform for sharing research and creative work, as well as nurturing professional development opportunities. Importantly this gathering was a networking opportunity to forge new partnerships, potential collaborations and to strengthen existing relationships.

Articles

The establishment of a policy for contemporary dance in France (1975–2010)

by Patrick Germain-Thomas in Contemporising the past: envisaging the future

Right up until the 1960s, classical dance occupied a monopolistic position in France. In the mid-1970s, we could observe a repositioning of dance policy through the recognition of contemporary dance as an area of specific public intervention. This policy, pivoting on professional arts subsidy, also included measures in relation to distribution and teaching. It led to the establishment of an artistic world distinct from classical dance, and the existence of rich and diverse performance choices. In the 1980s and 1990s, scheduling and the contemporary dance public expanded significantly, as did companies’ offerings, which increased in equivalent proportions. This paper therefore meets two main objectives: an analysis on the means deployed to develop contemporary dance audience statistics, and presentation of a report on these actions; demonstrating both their tangible results and the stumbling blocks encountered.