Odorama
(working title)

Odorama (working title) – Massimo Fusco

The encounter between two sensory languages deeply bound to our memory and our perception of the world: movement and smell.

Following Corps Sonores Juniors—an installation exploring the acoustic and tactile dimensions of perception—Massimo Fusco seeks with Odorama to unfold a visual and olfactory choreographic practice tailored to the attention spans and perceptual abilities of very young children.

Even before acquiring language, infants discover their environment through sensations. Scents represent one of the earliest emotional and affective reference points in their lives. They reassure or signal danger, awaken curiosity, or spark the imagination, playing a full part in shaping a child’s connection to others and to the world. Still rarely explored in the performing arts, scents nonetheless hold a unique power, acting instantly and without intellectual mediation to evoke emotions, memories, and imagery.

In resonance with the music and using scented costumes and props, two performers move through light, enveloping gestures akin to rocking, until a steady pulse emerges. Bodies leap, turn, and stomp the ground—a dance suspended between floatation and shifting focus.

Set within an ever-evolving olfactory landscape, an original score by Rosemary Standley accompanies the movement to create an immersive, multi-sensory experience.

In line with the art–care–society focus developed within his company, Massimo Fusco has designed a welcoming project accessible to all audiences, with special care for children with disabilities.

Scents in Motion

This creation stems from a desire to activate the senses and to connect dance movement—a deeply visual art—with the sense of smell. Dance allows scents to circulate, invisible materials extending the movement of the duo.

The setup invites children and adults to sit close to the performance area, fostering a shared and reassuring experience. The scenographic elements suggest a landscape made of soft materials, tufted carpets, light fabrics, and subtle lighting effects. The show is designed for small audience capacities to preserve the quality of the sensory experience.

Serving both as play partners and emotional triggers, the scenography and fragrances created by Julie C. Fortier set a tactile and olfactory backdrop.

In collaboration with Hirac Gurden, Director of Research in Neuroscience at the CNRS and a specialist in olfactory mechanisms, the challenge is to create fragrances that deliver a sensory experience designed with special attention to young children’s comfort: moderate intensity, ingredients suited for early childhood (hydrosols), and short, controlled durations. The goal is to create a shared moment of discovery, where each audience member is invited to build their own sensory journey.

In this way, the performance highlights young children’s natural perceptual abilities while respecting their freedom of attention. Spontaneous reactions—glances, movements, smiles, wonder, or vocalizations—are considered a full part of the experience.

biography

Massimo Fusco studied contemporary dance at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse of Paris.

As a dancer, he collaborated with Jean-Claude Gallotta, Annabelle Bonnéry & François Deneulin, Hervé Robbe, Sarah Crépin & Etienne Cuppens, Joanne Leighton, Clédat & Petitpierre, Alban Richard, Mélanie Perrier, Christian Rizzo, Dominique Brun, and Gisèle Vienne with whom he performed all around the world. He danced in the movie Le Bal des actrices directed by Maïwenn, and is one of the characters of If it were love directed by Patric Chiha, Teddy Award-winning at the Berlinale 2020.

As a teacher, he is invited to give workshops and professional trainings for dancers at the Ballet Preljocaj, at the Ballet National of Marseille / (LA)HORDE, at the DCA company / Philippe Decouflé, at the Montpellier Danse festival and at the Centre National de la Danse. He developed workshops for more than ten years in France and in Europe in various contexts especially for the medico-social field in which research and experimentation are subjects of special attention.

As a choreographer, he is interested in Performance Art and completed a university degree of art, dance and performance art. Since then, he uses improvisation’s skills as a motor for creativity and composition in order to create more transversality between Arts. Certified as a Tui Na massage practitioner, he sets out to connect dance and care in immersive sound and choreographic installations : SOUND BODIES and SOUND BODIES FOR KIDS. This transversality allows him to create original choreographic projects such as the films OASIS BODIES in collaboration with director Thibaut Ras and the BAL MAGNETIQUE, a new immersive and participative ball project. He was an Associate Artist at Les Hivernales – CDCN d’Avignon and at the Théâtre Louis Aragon in Tremblay-en-France.

Massimo Fusco is currently member of the Tremplin 2024/27 interregional network.