Sibylline - Leo Lerus, Chaillot Théâtre National de la Danse, Paris

What if our heritages weren't relics, but a breath for the future? With Sibylline, Guadeloupean choreographer Léo Lérus invites nine performers to explore the living memory of the Caribbean.

Blending Creole rhythms and contemporary dance, this creation draws on a profound proverb to question what gets passed on in the shadows.

Sibylline is rooted in a Guadeloupean piece of folk wisdom: "Pawòl anba fèy pa ka pèd", which beautifully translates as "words spoken under the leaves are never lost". For this creation, Léo Lérus explores how cultural heritage adapts to the present rather than disappearing.

On stage, the dancers inhabit archetypal figures from Caribbean society, turning these archetypes into a foundation for expressing their own singularity and doubts. The piece immerses the audience in a Caribbean musical world, where Dory Sélèsprika's Creole texts blend with sound.

Originally from Guadeloupe, Léo Lérus founded the company Zimarèl in 2011, with the ambition of putting his roots in dialogue with a singular contemporary choreographic language.

His work is inseparable from the idea of a "musical body": the dancer's movement doesn't simply illustrate the music, it provokes and alters it through the risks it takes.

This symbiotic dialogue draws on the essence of GwoKa and Léwoz, Guadeloupean traditions in which improvisation and the interplay between music and movement are fundamental.

Set for 2027, Sibylline marks a new stage in the career of this artist, shaped by prestigious international collaborations.

Léo Lérus was notably assistant and rehearsal director to renowned Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal, working with major companies such as the Staatsballett Berlin and NDT in London.

He will also become an associate artist at the Théâtre National de la Danse, Chaillot, from spring 2026. From these experiences, he has cultivated a taste for