Dance Places

La Chaufferie

Over three decades ago, Philippe Decouflé breathed new life into a former municipal thermal power plant in Saint-Denis, establishing it as the headquarters for his company, DCA – which stands for Diversity, Camaraderie and Agility. These values have informed Decouflé’s flamboyant work, showcased worldwide during the 1992 Olympics’ opening ceremony, and are reflected in the warm atmosphere of La Chaufferie (The Boiler Room, in English). Over time, the industrial plant's 700 square meters have been transformed to accommodate the diverse needs of Decouflé’s multidisciplinary company and to provide space for other artistic teams to develop their works.

While the red gates of La Chaufferie typically remain closed to the public, except on special occasions, Decouflé and Frank Piquard, his deputy director, took CN D Magazine on a tour of this creative hub as part of the “Dance Places” series.

After training in mime, circus arts and contemporary dance, Philippe Decouflé founded the DCA company in 1983. His influences include Oskar Schlemmer, Tex Avery, Alwin Nikolaïs and Groucho Marx, and his style is a fusion of movement, stagecraft, and cinematic effects. He has created productions such as Codex (1986), Octopus (2010) and Shazam! (1998, 2021) and worked on big popular events, musicals, and a cabaret show, Désirs, for the Crazy Horse. His latest piece, Stéréo (2022) highlights the rock’n’roll energy of five dancers and three musicians. 

Frank Piquard’s passion for music led him to the performing arts and production. He joined the staff of Établissement Public du Parc and the Grande Halle de la Villette in 1995 and became Executive Producer in 2003. He joined the DCA Company five years later as Deputy Director and now produces all of the company’s projects. He also oversees the development of La Chaufferie,and has served as co-curator of the Jazz à la Villette Festival (a coproduction between the Parc de la Villette & the Philharmonie de Paris) since 2005.

La Chaufferie
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Planète(s) Decouflé
Exhibition of costumes by the DCA company
May 25 to January 5 at Centre national du consume et de la scène, Moulins

Stéréo
Choreography: Philippe Decouflé
April 10 to 13 at Théâtre de Caen
May 14 to 16 at Théâtre Auditorium de Poitiers
May19 at Opéra de Vichy
May 23 & 24 at Carreau, Forbach
July 8 at Théâtre Jean-Deschamps, Carcassonne