The Speed of Water draws on the power of the high seas and unfolds a world in perpetual motion, driven by the dynamics of ocean currents.
Set to an electrifying score by Patrick de Oliveira, the dance emphasizes powerful motifs of bodies circulating in space through a mastery of trajectory, turns, and the phenomena of acceleration and deceleration. The Speed of Water is an adaptation of the piece RENVERSE, created in 2025 for 8 performers. Designed to be highly versatile and accessible to all audiences, this lightweight format can be presented just as well on a small stage as it can outdoors.
This project is inspired by decades of scientific observation of global ocean circulation: the pillar of the Earth's ecological balance. Then there are current events: on August 5, 2021, the journal Nature published the conclusions of these scientists, confirming a clear slowdown in the system of ocean currents.
The enormous influx of freshwater due to melting glaciers is disrupting this global cycle. The entire AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) current system—20 million cubic meters of water per second—circulates thanks to the energy exchanged between saltwater and freshwater, hot and cold, depth and surface...
The questions raised are significant: With this slowdown, how will the oceans continue to absorb the CO2 we produce? How can the AMOC maintain its role as a climate regulator? What will be the consequences for the incredible, yet undiscovered, life forms and organisms living in these oceans? With this piece, Fabrice Lambert aims to open a space of empathy—a zone where one can feel that a balance in the humanity/nature equation is possible.
A 50-minute trio for female dancers, The Speed of Water is an adaptation of the piece RENVERSE, created in 2025 for 8 performers, and is available in both stage and site-specific versions. 2026 Creation – Festival On y danse aussi l'été ! – Les Hivernales – CDCN d’Avignon – July 10–20, 2026 at 7:20 PM – No performance on the 15th
June 12, 2026 Preview · École Ormesson, Centre des Arts d’Enghien‑les‑Bains
July 10–20, 2026 Avignon Premieres Festival On (y) danse aussi l’été ! Les Hivernales – CDCN d’Avignon
September 18, 2026 - 8:30 PM Théâtre Jacques Carat, Cachan (94)
October 11, 2026 - 3:30 PM Abbaye de Royaumont, Asnières‑sur‑Oise
March 12, 2027 - 8:30 PM Théâtre Jacques Carat, Cachan (94)
July 10, 2027 Surface de danse Festival, Sainte‑Marie‑la‑Robert (61)
Here is the English translation, using standard theatrical terminology:
CAST AND CREDITS
Choreography: Fabrice Lambert
Assistant: Hanna Hedman
Performers: Eve Bouchelot, Elsa Dumontel, Agathe Thévenot
Lighting: Philippe Gladieux
Music: Patrick de Oliveira
Costumes: Valentine Solé
Administration and Production: Marie de Heaulme
Touring and Booking: Océane Santorelli
PRODUCTION: L'Expérience Harmaat
CO-PRODUCTIONS: Centre des Arts, Enghien-les-Bains; Théâtre Jacques Carat, Cachan; Fondation Royaumont, Asnières-sur-Oise. With the support of L’Envolée, Pôle artistique du Val Briard.
L’Expérience Harmaat/Fabrice Lambert is supported by the DRAC Île-de-France, by the Île-de-France Region under the artistic and cultural permanence grant for artistic teams, and by the Val-de-Marne Department.
