Pulse Festival

Pulse: Dance for All Childhoods

Born in 2022 under the impetus of Atelier de Paris / CDCN (National Choreographic Development Center), Festival Pulse has quickly established itself as a unique event in the French contemporary dance scene. Its ambition: to make dance an art accessible to all childhoods, from the youngest age, by placing inclusion and diversity at the heart of each edition.

Located in the green setting of the Cartoucherie de Vincennes, the festival unfolds its program over several weeks in the spring. It is aimed at toddlers from one year old, children, teenagers, and curious adults, offering choreographic performances designed for each age group and for families. Beyond the walls of the Cartoucherie, Pulse extends to libraries, daycare centers, and schools in Paris and the Île-de-France region, bringing dance to places where it is not always expected.

A Pioneering Commitment to Accessibility

One of the most remarkable singularities of Festival Pulse is its commitment to accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. The festival offers visual performances designed to be fully appreciated without hearing, as well as bilingual LSF-French (French Sign Language) performances and workshops. Atelier de Paris also supports three creation projects bringing together deaf and hearing artists, making Pulse a laboratory for more inclusive choreographic practice.

The venue is equipped with portable hearing loops available at the reception, allowing hearing-impaired spectators to follow the performances in the best conditions. This comprehensive accessibility approach makes Pulse a model for performing arts festivals in France.

A Program Balancing Artistic Excellence and Transmission

The Festival Pulse program finely balances high-level choreographic creations and transmission workshops. Each edition brings together about twenty artists and companies, offering around thirty performances and as many encounters: parent-child workshops, dance initiations, conferences, and exchanges with artists. The performances explore contemporary dance in all its forms—visual dance, dance-theater, participatory dance, immersive performances—with an approach always focused on engaging with young audiences.

Atelier de Paris, the Beating Heart of Dance at the Cartoucherie

Founded in 1999 by Carolyn Carlson, Atelier de Paris / CDCN is one of the nineteen national choreographic development centers labeled by the Ministry of Culture. Located within the Cartoucherie de Vincennes—this major Parisian theater venue, also home to Ariane Mnouchkine's Théâtre du Soleil—Atelier de Paris conducts a mission throughout the year to support creation, diffusion, and awareness of contemporary dance. Festival Pulse is one of the highlights of its season, fully embodying its mission of transmission and openness to all audiences.