HISTORY

From 2001 to 2010, the MARCHEPIED project aimed to address the lack of training for Swiss dancers wishing to pursue a career as performers. Initially established as a collective, MARCHEPIED provided a learning space of fifteen hours per week over two years, which included technical and theoretical courses, a 30-minute creation, a reprise of roles from previous creations, and a ten-date tour across Switzerland. The dancers were trained for higher education institutions in contemporary dance.

The year 2011 is significant for the future of the MARCHEPIED project, given the changes in the landscape of contemporary dance training in Switzerland. The establishment of the CFC/MPA (Vocational Training/Career Path) for contemporary dance performers in Geneva and Basel, as well as the realization of two Bachelor's programs in Zurich and Lausanne, evolved MARCHEPIED into a professional integration space that would be named Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED.

From 2011 to 2019, this new direction aimed to harmonize the advancement of contemporary dance training in Switzerland, complementing the efforts of the new Bachelor's programs rather than opposing or juxtaposing them. 2011 also marked the geographical anchoring of Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED with the acquisition of Studio 2 at 35 Rue du Valentin in Lausanne. The new format was developed so that dancers could have thirty hours per week of intensive contemporary dance training (equivalent to a full-time commitment over nine months). Encounters, networking, and creation processes with choreographers make up this artistic program. The Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED tour now includes three pieces and spans fifteen dates both in Switzerland and abroad. Masterclasses with guest choreographers are also offered, and a biennial platform called PLATEFORME_New Generation of Performers is organized by Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED in partnership with the Lausanne theaters. Since 2011, the organization has also emphasized communication issues to keep pace with the evolving choreographic landscape: through social media and engagement between the stage and audiences, Corinne Rochet and Nicholas Pettit have educated generations of dancers about the physical and digital dissemination of their artistic profiles.

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#2020

For 2020, Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED becomes MARCHEPIED Cie: its springboard formula is accompanied by an immersive professional experience lasting six months. During this time, the dancers develop a professional network through numerous invitations from renowned choreographers. In this professional context, they solidify their skills in view of future employability. This "first job" program serves as an initial immersion into the demands and realities of the contemporary choreographic scene. By employing its interns for five months, MARCHEPIED Cie provides its candidates with an opportunity for employment. As a logical progression of its internal evolution, MARCHEPIED Cie addresses issues related to the professional transformation of the Swiss choreographic landscape to support the integration of the young generation of performers who have just graduated from their higher education programs.

Based at Studio 2 since 2011 (35 Rue Valentin in Lausanne), Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED has established its presence within the Vaud region. Each year in the Valentin neighborhood, its choreographic approach invites generations of dancers from across Europe. Supported since its inception by the City of Lausanne, the Canton of Vaud, and various private foundations, Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED benefits from assistance aimed at achieving the professionalization of talented young performers. With its unique approach, it has been a French-speaking project for 20 years, flourishing through its originality and visibility, partnerships, and the territory that supports it.

Today, MARCHEPIED Cie asserts its identity focused on employability for the young generation of dancers. With training being a comprehensive aspect in Romandy, the end-of-cycle presentation has become a space with specific stakes for young graduates. 

MARCHEPIED Cie serves as an aid to engagement by providing a favorable environment for young dancers seeking employment: immediate immersion, continuity of skill acquisition, networking opportunities, paid launches, and progression of their status.

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25 YEARS OF TOURS 

In two decades, Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED has welcomed over 100 dancers for 38 creations and around twenty associated tours. Each year, Corinne Rochet and Nicholas Pettit have created contemporary choreographic works for Junior Cie Le MARCHEPIED, utilizing their artistic and choreographic approach through the professional company Pettit*Rochet, Cie Utilité publique. Alongside their pieces, internationally renowned Swiss choreographers have been invited to create works with the young dancers (including Christian Rizzo, Joshua Monten, Cie 7273, Tabea Martin, Cie Nuna, Grégory Stauffer, Cie Delgado Fuch, Cie Linga, Yann Marrusich, Marco Berrettini, Cie Cindy Van Acker, Johanne Leighton, Cie Alias, Cie Gille Jobin, Nicole Seiler, etc.). For 25 years, the MARCHEPIED project has educated its performers about a broad choreographic panorama and promoted Swiss artistic productions scenically.

Between 2000 and 2014, the MARCHEPIED project underwent several changes to respond to numerous professional and theatrical shifts in the field of performing arts both in Switzerland and abroad.