Toulouse. La Machine to welcome giant from China, announces new free show
Through Gabriel Kenedi
Published on
He had promised a surprise to the Toulouse. And she is big! Francois Delarozière, artistic director of La Machine, announced this Thursday, December 16, 2021 the arrival of a new show machine, which will join his comrades Asterion (the Minotaur) and Ariane (the Spider) at the Machine Hall.
An exceptional show machine
Created by François Delarozière and the Compagnie La Machine, the Dragon Horse long mom made his first appearance in Beijing in 2014 as part of the 50e anniversary of France-China relations. After having walked the streets of Ottawa in Canada, Nantes and Calais, he arrives for the first time in Toulouse in February 2022.
Made of wood and steel, it measures 12 meters high, 5 meters wide and weighs 45 tons.
“Long Ma can walk, trot, gallop, pitch up and lie down. Her eyes open and close. His neck rises and falls, swaying from side to side. Its nostrils spit smoke and its mouth fire. She is breathing and her rib cage inflates under the pressure of her lungs, ”describes Compagnie La Machine. An entire program !
“On the occasion of having him here in Toulouse because Long Ma came back to France for a major maintenance. We can therefore afford to welcome him before he returns to China. It is therefore truly exceptional and it will not happen again in 10 years, ”explains François Delarozière.
Here’s a look at this spectacular machine:
He arrives at the Halle de La Machine
Concretely, long mom, will disembark from February 19 to May 8, 2022 at the Halle de La Machine. It will initially stay inside the Hall.
“Nestled inside La Halle, this imposing machine will wake up every day, lulled by the mechanical sounds of the machine stable. Les Véritables Machinistes invite the public to discover the history of this monumental machine, to be surprised by the sensitivity and precision of its movements. On certain days, Long Ma will be able to venture outside, on the Track, to greet Asterion the Minotaur and the inhabitants of the Montaudran district, ”announces Compagnie La Machine.
A two-day show scheduled for April
But that’s not all ! To top it off, the La Halle de La Machine team is announcing two days of shows, April 16 and 17, 2022. One free street show, which takes place on the Track of the Giants, and which brings together in Long Ma, the Minure and the Spider.
This new street show will therefore take a completely different form from the one that was given in the streets of downtown Toulouse at the end of 2018.
“We are going to invite the people of Toulouse to come to the Piste des Géants for a great moment of theater which will feature our giants. The means we will have to do so will determine the size and the power of what we can do theatrically but we already know that we will be able to do something extraordinary with our Dragon Horse, our Minotaur and our giant spiders. We will have a great show on the airfield “.
The show will be fully funded by the Metropolis, which has increased its contribution and which now allocates a subsidy of 700,000 euros by one to bring the Halle de La Machine to life.
We can also travel on Long Ma
“At the end of this show, Long Ma stay outside and put his temple on his back, in order to be able to transport the audience. We had never managed to do it before! », Also announces François Delarozière.
From April 19, 2022 to May 8, 2022, Long Ma will therefore embark travelers on its temple. 50 people will be able to travel on his back several times a day for a real crossover on the Piste des Géants. Long Ma will then go back to China for new adventures.
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