A new artist is joining the Get Down team, and not the least. Betty Mansion is a talented dancer who will take us into her distinctive and instantly recognisable world. Her atypical style questions the notion of beauty. Too often judged by her physique in the dance world, she decided to break the codes by adopting the opposite, ugly angles and deliberately offbeat movements. As her career progressed, her personal creations became an important part of her life, both because they were successful and because they had a special meaning for her. 

With humour, she gives life to characters who fully embrace their sensibility. This facet of her personality has always been present in her, but it took on significant importance at a key moment in her life. One day, the artist received a mysterious newsletter offering clowning courses. Intrigued by the offer, she took the plunge. Presenters Médhi Beduin and Tristan Letellier have deconstructed the cliché of the red-nosed clown with the light-hearted jokes. It was an encounter with the deep delicacy and empathy of the world of clowns, a discovery that particularly resonated with the creator. Today it’s an integral part of her life. Betty is a member of the circus troupe Les Josianes and lives in a caravan surrounded by this vast artistic family.

As a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher, she finds that her style can be a real challenge for students. Dance has a rather narcissistic dimension, where you aspire to feel beautiful and to shine. Sometimes Betty proposes the exact opposite, and overcoming this fear can be difficult. Emotions run high, and there have been times when she has wiped away tears.

To ensure a relaxed atmosphere, she uses a well-defined choreography at the start of the class, inviting participants to feel the power of the group and to let loose in a specially designed setting. Gradually, improvisation is introduced, adding a more personal dimension to the experience.

Children turn out to be an exceptional clientele, not yet having adopted the complex prism of teenagers or adults. She draws inspiration for her choreography from this youthful spirit, because children are more in tune with their instincts and don’t hesitate to express their spontaneity. By immersing herself in the music, Betty concocts choreographies that mix commercial steps and zany postures to break away from an overly slick aesthetic and inject a zany spirit.

She learned to overcome her doubts when creating her choreographies, alone in front of her mirror, by imagining absurd steps. Today, she knows that when this teaching is passed on to dancers, the magic happens and the shared movement reveals its own special world. In fact, it was thanks to the “Summer Time” project that Betty fully embraced her creative process, despite the simplicity with which she conceived the choreography. 

« Sometimes complexity isn’t necessary, because what may seem simple to her is less obvious to others. »

The clip generated a lot of buzz, even becoming a trend during the Covid period.

Betty Mansion started giving lessons at the age of 14, travelling and being part of the dance world. She sees a certain evolution in the dance sector, even if this is not necessarily reflected on screen. In her eyes, television programmes are still stuck in classic choices that have been seen and seen again. Her wish is to sow her seed of madness and, if possible, awaken the consciousness of her students and the public so that they feel freer to be themselves. 

His next show will reflect his identity: an absurd yet precise ballet, the result of his OH SUMMER project, involving artists such as Roxane Hardy, Isabelle Audoan and Jerome Louis who are close to his heart. Get Down is delighted to be accompanying him on these new projects, which promise to be flamboyant. Ready to get in Betty’s pool?

© Pierre DLK Photography