Festival entre Cour et Jardins

Festival entre Cour et Jardins: Contemporary Dance in Exceptional Locations

For over thirty years, the Festival entre Cour et Jardins has offered a unique approach to contemporary dance by taking shows out of theaters and placing them in heritage locations, natural spaces, and historic architectures in the Jura. This traveling and unconventional festival transforms castle courtyards, gardens, wine cellars, and village squares into ephemeral stages where dance dialogues with architecture and landscape.

A Festival Supported by Le Dancing

Since 2019, the festival has been supported by Le Dancing, National Choreographic Development Center Dijon Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. This institution, recognized by the Ministry of Culture, brings its expertise in contemporary dance and its ability to invite leading national and international choreographers and companies to the festival.

A Traveling Format Over Several Weekends

The festival unfolds over several weekends in the fall, successively taking over the towns of Salins-les-Bains, Poligny, and Arbois, in the heart of the Cœur du Jura community of municipalities. Each location hosts a specific program, designed in connection with the architecture and history of the site:

• Weekend #1 — Salins-les-Bains: shows in the heritage sites of the spa town
• Weekend #2 — Poligny: performances in the courtyards and gardens of the capital of Comté cheese
• Weekend #3 — Arbois: dance in the cellars, gardens, and squares of Pasteur's town

A Demanding and Accessible Program

The festival programs contemporary choreographic creations, performances, balls, and cabarets that are aimed at all audiences. The shows are designed for intimate audiences, fostering a rare proximity between dancers and spectators. The program mixes established artists and young creators, French and international choreographers.

Unique Artistic Experiences

The originality of the Festival entre Cour et Jardins lies in the relationship between dance and the location. Choreographers are invited to create pieces specifically designed for the festival's spaces—an enclosed garden, an inner courtyard, a monumental staircase, a vaulted cellar—transforming each performance into a unique and ephemeral experience. Spectators are often invited to wander, change their point of view, or even actively participate in the artistic proposals.

The Jura: Land of Dance and Heritage

The festival contributes to the cultural influence of Cœur du Jura by creating bridges between heritage, landscape, and contemporary creation. It participates in the democratization of contemporary dance in rural areas and attracts a curious and loyal audience, composed of dance lovers, tourists, and local residents.