Performance - Hervé x MazelFreten

 “A singer-songwriter of acute sensitivity, wielding words, melodies and rhythms with equal brilliance, Hervé – influenced as much by Bashung or Daho as by Phoenix and Daft Punk – has injected a vigorous new sound into the lifeblood of French chanson. From his very first solo album, Hyper (2020), which earned him the Male Breakthrough award at the 2021 Victoires de la Musique, he sparked a wave of enthusiasm, further heighte­ned by his next two releases, Intérieur vie (2023) and Adrénaline (2024).  

Alongside the Adrénaline tour he is cur­rently undertaking with his band, Hervé is treating himself to an exclusive solo venture: a stage encounter with Mazel­Freten, an exceptionally dynamic choreo­graphic collective straddling hip-hop and electro. This brand-new creation, initiated by Chaillot, Théâtre National de la Danse, bears the stamp of inevitability, as their respective approaches – united by a fervent love of music and a taste for hybridisation – so clearly resonate with one another. As original as it is invigo­rating, it gives rise to spectacular dance-concerts, full of momentum and emo­tion, carried throughout by a striking set.” Jérôme Provençal

Hervé

A singer-songwriter of acute sensitivity, wielding words, melodies and rhythms with equal brilliance, Hervé – influenced as much by Bashung or Daho as by Phoenix and Daft Punk – has injected a vigorous new sound into the lifeblood of French chanson. From his very first solo album, Hyper (2020), which earned him the Male Breakthrough award at the 2021 Victoires de la Musique, he sparked a wave of enthusiasm, further heightened by his next two releases, Intérieur vie (2023) and Adrénaline (2024).

MazelFreten

He is an electro dancer, Brandon Masele, vice world champion in the disci­pline. She is a hip-hop dancer, Laura Defretin. In the world of battles, they are known by their stage names, Miel and Nala. Each had been making their way across stages, working respectively with the likes of Christine and the Queens, Stromae and Angèle, until a chance encounter in a dance studio during a short performance brought them together. That mee­ting was the catalyst for their desire to share a part of their story between electro and hip-hop cultures. A duo of remarkable sensitivity, they dance a fusion, a symbiosis, driven by the urge to rediscover one another through dance. Together, they have created a distinctive language, a vocabulary unique to their choreographic world, one that carries electro dance and hip-hop to a wider audience.  

Brandon Masele

Franco-Congolese dancer, choreographer and artistic director Brandon Masele, known as Miel, specialises in electro dance and serves as an ambas­sador for this culture worldwide. He was crowned world champion with Alliance Crew in 2012 and ranked #1 solo dancer globally in 2019. From battles to prestigious stages, Brandon has worked on numerous projects with Marion Motin, (La) Horde, Ryan Heffington, Ayo, Celine Dion, Stromae, Ninho, and Gerard & Kelly. In 2014, he was named ADAMI Dance Talent for the project Bliss with Compagnie Revolution, before joining the musical Résiste as a dancer and developing his acting skills in Ladislas Chollat’s film Let’s Dance. In 2017, he co-founded the company MazelFreten with Laura Defretin. In 2018–2019, he toured worldwide with Christine and the Queens, and choreo­graphed his own solo to the track Doesn’t Matter. Brandon is also sought after as a dancer-model for advertising campaigns with brands such as Louboutin, L’Oréal, Saint Laurent, Kenzo, JPG, Uniqlo, Fendi, Pull&Bear, Diesel and Hermès – opportunities that have allowed him to develop the aesthetic di­mension of his art. Today, he is frequently invited to bring his movement vo­cabulary to the next generation, for instance at the Toulouse Conservatoire with the Purple Love project, or with Sarah Trouche on a creation involving 70 students at the Palais de la Porte Dorée. In parallel, he trains emerging electro dancers through his own programme, La Planké.

Laura Defretin

Laura Defretin is a dancer, choreographer, artistic director and actress. A multidisciplinary performer, she is internationally renowned in hip-hop thanks to her many victories and is often invited to judge and teach worldwide. In 2008, she discovered a passion for choreography when she created the show Sakalapeuch with her group Undercover, with whom she went on to win the French championship twice. Influenced by her career and by a variety of artistic encounters, she has brought her choreographic language to life in collaborations with musical artists such as Black M, Léonie Pernet and Elia. She has also worked with Angèle and Marion Motin. It was while joining the cast of the musical Résiste that she met Brandon Masele, with whom she co-founded the company MazelFreten. She is also drawn to movement direc­tion, particularly in the world of cinema, working regularly with Gaumont productions (Yo Mama in 2023 and Ma mère, dieu et Sylvie Vartan in 2024).

Production: Chaillot – National Dance Theater
Co-production: Les Nuits de Fourvière, Romance Musique et Mélancolie F.C.

Premiere on February 6, 2025, at Chaillot – National Dance Theater

Special thanks to B Live Groupe, Nathalia Meneses Gonzalez, and all the teams at Chaillot—Théâtre national de la Danse