Mickaël 'Marso' Rivière | Choreographer | Movement Coach and Creative Director
Based in the U.K, Marso is the founder of Company Decalage, GalleryMarso and "KRE8!". He produces eclectic and inter-disciplinary works rooted to Hip Hop culture. His track record as a performer, producer, workshop leader, mentor, award winning choreographer and photographer is rich with amazing collaborations and achievements.
Marso trained in dance and drama at The Rosella Hightower Int. Dance School in France and at London Circus Space (National Centre For Circus Arts) in aerial skills, circus arts and theatre practice. Alongside his academic training, his dedication to Streetdance styles and Capoeira have been the essence of his movement vocabulary and teaching methodology.
In the last 20 years he has established himself as a major force in both the contemporary dance, and Breakin’ (Breakdance) worlds. He has created numerous touring works for Company Decalage and independently been commissioned by Carlos Acosta for Acosta Danza, Sharleen Spiteri (Texas), The Royal Academy of Dance, Birmingham Hippodrome, People Dancing, Dancexchange, Birmingham International Dance Festival, The Place Prize, Breakin Convention, The Cultural Olympiad, The Aurora Orchestra, King’s Cross NC1, Danza Contemporenea De Cuba, The British Council.
Marso was Artist in Residence at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in 2020/2021 and created "Coven+" , 3 bodies of work comprising a large scale live performance, a film and photography exhibition.
Regularly awarded Arts Council England grants for his own productions, Marso was shortlisted (as choreographer) for the Kevin Spacey’s ‘Artist of Choice’ award in 2016 with Phantom Limbs, a project which gained momentum in 2019 when Marso was invited to "Fabrique” at the prestigious venue Chaillot-Theatre National De La Dance in Paris.
The award winning project gained support from the Wellcome Collection, The Place and Birmingham Hippodrome for a new piece of research based on and inspired by the Phantom Limbs Syndrome, it received the 2020 OneDanceUK award for Research In Dance.
His solo “Eteins Pas” won ‘Best Solo’ award at Hop Festival in Spain and 3rd prize at the Int. Masdanza Choreography competition; it subsequently toured in the UK and abroad including Sadlers Wells and Danza Urbana Bologna.
As a performer, Marso has collaborated with numerous artists from small to large scale international productions for screen and stage; such as Jonzi D (Sadlers Wells Celebrate /Rozamira Festival Moscow) , Navala Chaudhari, Robert Hylton (Verse&Verses Tour), Hugh Turvey, Damien Jalet, Supple Nam, Guy Nader, Danny Boyle (Body double for Cillian Murphy - Sunshine 2007).
He was in the New Millennium Company featuring in the televised ‘Millennium Opening Ceremony’ directed by Micha Bergese and Andrew Watson (Cirque du Soleil), The Commonwealth Games - Opening Ceremony, BBC Young Dancer, Gravity Fatigue by Hussein Chalayan, Channel4, Sadlers Wells Celebrate, and he also appeared in Wallpaper Magazine & Vogue's 100 years’ Edition for Hussein Chalayan’s Gravity Fatigue choreographed by Damien Jalet.
With Birmingham Hippodrome he co-founded B-Side Hip Hop Festival and has produced the international experimental dance concept event KRE8! (2016-2020).
To further his practice as a choreographer Marso received training support from The Place and Breakin’ Convention including composition directed by Matteo Fargion, mentorship from Richard Alston, Akram Khan, Jonzi D and Breaking fundamentals with Breaking pioneer Ken Swift and Bboy Poe One.
Other involvements with the dance sector include: member of the grant committee for Dancers’ Career Development (2017/18) and member of the Equity Dance Committee for the UK (2019/23).
Marso shares and teaches his dance methodology internationally, including as a Guest University Lecturer with past positions at The Place, Wolverhampton university, Hong Kong Academy For Performing Arts, Contemporary Dance School Hamburg.
Recent commissions: Coven+ as AIR at Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Dovetail - Vanhulle Dance Theatre, KRE8! Battle BIDF UK, Phantom Within HK Arts Festival- No Limits, Cargo Mio - CDSH Hamburg, Level Up - Plesni Teater Ljubljana Slovenia.
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