untitled design

Julie Gautier, the freediver who dances underwater

Julie gautier with his body he gives shape to water. His underwater dance in apnea it is a creative process of beauty that opens up to a new dimension, an art form with infinite possibilities, which when completed is an echo of freedom.

French, born and raised on the island of Réunion, Julie approached freediving as a young girl, thanks to her father, a spearfishing hunter. In 2006 and 2007 he achieved the French record reaching a depth of 65 and 68 meters in constant weight.

Today freediving for Julie has become a “skill” – as she says – to achieve something else. It is the skill she needs to give life to a new artistic language that blends freediving and dance, and gives beauty to the beholder.

Julie is also movie director, and behind the camera he is always in apnea. In 2019, together with his life partner Guillaume Néry, he made the film “One Breath Around The World”, an underwater journey that revolves around the planet and its oceans. His solo success is “But” which he interprets and directs: a dance to the music of Ezio Bosso and the choreography of Ophélie Longuet. But comes from the Japanese “woman of the sea”, a term used to depict the traditional underwater fisherwomen in search of pearls, very strong and united women. And it is to all women in the world that this story, shot in the deepest underwater theater in the world, is dedicated, Y-40 The Deep Joy, the thermal water pool of Montegrotto Terme, an all-Italian architectural project 42.15 meters deep and completed by an underground tunnel 13 meters long.

Here, Julie had a world premiere in «Narcissus». Through his evolutions in apnea, he retraced the myth of Narcissus, from the passion for his own reflected image, to the curse of its elusiveness. A game of doubling and dissolving that found their best expression in the water.

What led you to combine dance and freediving in a new art form?
«I used to dance and freedive in open water. Then, at a certain point, I started filming, and by combining the two I realized that I could create beauty underwater. The underwater movement is wonderful, the water makes it even more beautiful because it slows it down, makes it fluid, the limits of space and direction are canceled out, the possibilities are endless ».

Dance is the movement of a free body. What is the most powerful sensation you get underwater compared to the surface?
“If I am finite and limited on earth, I may not be underwater. The water allows me not only to do basic movements, but to perform real choreographies. When I’m on earth, I’m more shy, I don’t have perfect technique. Instead the water tells me how to move, as in a stream of consciousness I become more creative, I am able to improvise, to overcome limits and feel free, I have the sensation of flying, it is a sensation of wonderful freedom ».

Your work leads you to hold your breath, what are the emotions that out of the water lead you to do the same thing?
«
When dealing with negative emotions such as stress or anger, it is best to slow down your breathing. This simple action allows you to stop the mind, to make it empty from the flow of negative thoughts. It allows you to find calm and give yourself a time ».

We live in a historical period in which the search for balance and harmony have become the fundamental elements of well-being, did you find them underwater? Do you feel in this dimension that you have reached the union between mind and body?
“Each person has their own way of appreciating life. Water is my element because I love to take the time to feel the fluidity of the body, to be that fluidity. Water connects me with myself. I believe that yoga or static meditation are not always the answer to find balance, the important thing is to find your own truth, only in this way, in your own element, you do good for yourself and for others. For me, water represents a place where I see beauty everywhere, where I can let myself go to complete relaxation ».

Is the beauty that communicates by moving underwater an invitation to express yourself freely?
«For me, beauty is the most significant message with which we can reach people’s hearts and generate positive action in them. The interpretation of beauty touches each person in a different way and always generates something back ».

Your body is a work tool for you, how does it give it energy?
«I like to feed me with fresh food, I cultivate my garden, it is a way to take care of myself. Choosing healthy food is not an effort, it is my natural respect for the body. I believe that balance is the key to everything, you have to listen to yourself and for this reason it is sometimes okay to allow yourself to let yourself go ».

Are you always looking for perfection or has your discipline taught you to accept your physical and emotional limits?
“It is important to know your limits. When I started creating, I always tried to achieve perfection by doing my best. The secret to finding your own idea of ​​perfection is to take your time, not to be impatient ».

Does it suggest an easy exercise we can do in daily life to improve breathing?
“Sit down, let your breath go and scan your body, from feet to head. Think about your muscles and relax your body, you will find that your breathing calms down accordingly. To release the tension it takes a few minutes, with your eyes closed, and your breath follows you ».


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