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Creative residency.
"That Stings!" ...or Our Morphoses is a concert-poem for children ages 6 and up and their families.
Led by the duo Ortie Brûlante—featuring Géraldine Keller and Christelle Séry—the show blends vocals, electric guitar, flutes, sound objects, and effects in a format where music, poetry, and stage design are in constant dialogue.
Working together, they write original pieces that span:
— minimalist poetry, the “mini-morphoses”;
— the sound poetry of “que ça pique,” performed as participatory body percussion;
— the zany songs of Tanta Chiqueta.
As a nod to John Cage and his piece *Branches*, which features a “compelled” cactus, they have created—aptly titled *Que ça pique!* —a four-hand cactus composition, offering an opportunity to experience “what stings” live and the resulting sonic metamorphosis.
Thanks to the circular arrangement and the lighting effects, they work to cast their movements in shadow, creating a sense of visual as well as auditory poetry.
This production explores the transformations of living things: those of bodies, faces, flowers, emotions, and time. It delicately addresses essential themes such as metamorphosis, compost, the cycle of life, disappearance, and renewal, using curiosity and imagination as the driving forces behind discovery.
Conceived as a cabinet of sonic curiosities, the performance invites the audience to share the same listening space with the performers. Each sequence becomes a sensory experience in which sounds, materials, and images transform before the audience’s eyes, celebrating the constant movement of life.
Mentions
Production
, SoaZara Company – Arts and Sharing
Co-production andproduction support
, A Tout Hasard Associés – Groupe ZUR & Cie, Lili DéSastres (St. Barthélémy d’Anjou); Épicentre, territoire de l'écoute (Jarnages); Le Petit faucheux (Tours); Superforma – Scène Musiques Actuelles (Le Mans)
Supported by
, the Centre–Val de Loire Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs
Residency Programs
GMEM – National Center for Musical Creation (Marseille); Cie Skappa! & Associés (Marseille); Athénor – National Center for Musical Creation (Saint-Nazaire) (ongoing); Le 37e Parallèle / Salle Ockeghem (ongoing)
Biography(s)
Géraldine Keller
Lyric artist, vocalist, and flutist
Her work lies at the intersection of contemporary and improvised music in relation to dance, theater, and performance. She collaborates with numerous artists, ensembles, companies, and festivals across Europe, while developing original works in which the voice, the body, and poetry take center stage. Committed to creating works for young audiences, she performs notably in *Soonoo* with the SoaZara Company and *Maintenant: (Augenblick)* with the Skappa! & Associés Company.
Christelle Séry
Guitarist, improviser, and composer
Her career spans contemporary music, jazz, improvised music, and the performing arts. She collaborates with numerous creative ensembles while simultaneously developing several personal projects. Her approach emphasizes timbre, listening, and sonic exploration. Her commitment to young audiences stems from a desire to make contemporary music accessible to people of all ages.
Ortie Brûlante
A duo consisting of Géraldine Keller and Christelle Séry
Ortie Brûlante creates sensitive, poetic, and free-form musical compositions in which improvisation interacts with composition.
That stings! …or our states of metamorphosis
Stinging Nettle (Géraldine Keller, Christelle Séry)
Residence
Mon., Oct. 12 —— Fri., Oct. 16, 2026
Distribution
Géraldine Keller
: vocals, flutes, composition, writing, performance
Christelle Séry
electric guitar, vocals, composition, songwriting, performance
Support:
Jean-Luc Raharimanana
—writing and playwriting coaching
Élodie Pelette
: production, distribution
Jean-Luc Raharimanana
, writing and dramaturgy consultant
Isabelle Hervouët - Cie Skappa! & Associés
: support for the transformation of the set design, reflection on how to engage young audiences
Useful links