Art and Science: Dance with Plants

"Dance with Plants" is an art and science outreach project aimed at raising awareness among the general public about plant biology, particularly the growth and movement of plants. Artistic and digital animations, along with playful scientific workshops, are offered and supervised by scientists and students from IJPB.

The originality of this art and science initiative lies inits ability to penetrate third places, public and cultural spaces. A first version of the project was presented during the 7th edition of the Curiositas Festival on October 18 and 21, 2023, at the Anatole France Media Library in Trappes (Médiathèque Anatole France, Yvelines), in collaboration with the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines urban community (IJPB news 11/10/23). Initiated by Marine Froissard (researcher and animator of the IJPB mediation group), the project was envisioned by Alexis Peaucelle (researcher) and Corine Enard (IJPB communications officer). A collective of 8 scientists and 6 artists were mobilized for the project. These two days, focused on plant growth and movement, featured playful workshops for microscope observations, videos, mini-storytelling conferences, a digital video overlay system, and dance workshops led by professional choreographers (Armelle Devigon, nature dance, companyLLE, and Sindou Cissé, traditional dances of culture and harvest, Ivoire Dance Polyvalent company). On this occasion, innovative mediation tools were developed (serious games, laser-cut puzzles, etc.). A digital video overlay system called "Plants in Motion," developed by Professor Roger P. Hangarter, was made available through the equipment and expertise of the digital nurseries of the INRAE centers in Versailles and Jouy-en-Josas, as well as the IT team at IJPB.

Following the success of the first presentation of "Dance with Plants," the group of scientists involved in this art and science initiative aims to expand the project. Led by Marine Froissard, the project is now beginning its growth thanks to a new partnership with students from the dance-scheduled classes (CHAD) and the "Life and Earth Sciences" SVT teachers of the Collège Le Village in Trappes for a project on plant movement, which will include a choreographic work, video captures, and off-site experiments. The goal is to roll out the project within the school throughout the 2024-2025 academic year for CHAD classes, from 6th to 8th grade, in connection with the school programme on plant biology. Various activities will be proposed, including interventions by scientists in schools, setting up experimental plant growth systems, video capture of movements, use of the digital video overlay system, practical workshops, visits to the INRAE Versailles campus, and using the videos for choreographic work led by CHAD dance teachers and an artist who develops her creations in close connection with plants, Madeleine Fournier (company Odetta). An artistic residency at the INRAE Versailles site will be organized, during which Madeleine Fournier and the pupils dancers will immerse themselves in the research conducted at IJPB by visiting experimental facilities, participating in scientific workshops, and discussing with researchers to develop choreographic workshops and an artistic creation.

"Dance with Plants" project for the 2024-2025 academic year was made possible thanks to the support of AgroParisTech through a Science and Society project and the DAAC (Artistic and cultural education - Académie de Versailles) via an ACTE project (Artistic and cultural project in educational territories).

Update 21/03/25

Madeleine Fournier dancer and choreographer,
animator of the project's dance workshops, in residence for a day at the IJPB


Discover microtubules, the cell cytoskeleton filaments in plants, with David Bouchez


Microscope session with Laurence Cromer, a specialist in chromosome movement


Discover plants in IJPB greenhouses with Marine Froissard and Corine Enard

One of the dance workshops with Madeleine Fournier on the theme of plant movement





Discovering chromosomes and their “dance” with Laurence Cromer

DNA visualization during one of the DNA workshops with Carine Gery and Ella Kancel



What are plant cell microtubules and what do they look like?
With David Bouchez


In connection with the research developed at the Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences.