World premiere of Hidden at Lascaux IV

In connection with the European Heritage Days on 19 September, a brand-new dance performance honoring movement, myth, and memory premieres at Lascaux IV – International Centre for Parietal Art in Montignac, France.

Entitled Hidden, the performance is a collaboration between the Norwegian National Ballet, Know Nation, and Snøhetta. It was created by internationally acclaimed choreographer and dancer Daniel Proietto, and features the celebrated principle dancer Yolanda Correa alongside Proietto.

Hidden is specifically developed for the monumental spaces of Lascaux IV, a center ​
​seamlessly integrated into the landscape of the Vézère Valley, designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with SRA Architectes and scenographers Casson Mann. Opened in 2016, Lascaux IV stands as a landmark of contemporary architecture and museography, while offering an immersive experience and a faithful reconstitution of the original cave and cave paintings discovered in the area in 1940. ​

​The performance merges film, live dance, and music, designed to unfold across both architectural and natural environments. It evokes a ritual space filled with presence and ancestral memory, where movement becomes a vessel for timeless expression.

"Around 17,000 years ago, humans gathered at Lascaux in reverence, not to conquer, but to carve their dreams into stone," says Proietto. "They understood something we are still trying to remember: that making a mark is not an act of power, but an act of belonging. Hidden honors their efforts and asks what kind of ancestors we are becoming."

The performance journeys through the labyrinthine spaces of Lascaux IV, guided by the shadowy figure of the Minotaur, whose mask serves as a bridge between human and mythic forces. Dances inspired by prehistoric rites unfold in flickering light, bringing the cave walls to life and conjuring the presence of the unseen. In this setting, cave art is reimagined as the first cinematic act—a primal fusion of image, movement, and ritual.

"Bringing dance to Lascaux IV, at the heart of prehistoric art, is a profound honour for the Norwegian National Ballet, says Ingrid Lorentzen, Artistic Director at the Norwegian National Ballet." ​

​"This collaboration reminds us that art and movement have always been part of our shared human identity. Once again, Snøhetta unites nature and culture – as they did with our own opera house and so many other iconic projects. In the meeting between the ancient and the contemporary, a deep resonance emerges, and we are proud to contribute a choreographic work that explores this intersection – created by Daniel Proietto and performed by him alongside our principal dancer Yolanda Correa.”

Hidden’s vision of art as presence and offering is elevated by the collaboration with Tana Quartet, performing music by Belgian composer Jean-Paul Dessy, whose work blends contemporary classical language with a spiritual dimension.

Hidden resists spectacle in favor of ritual and remembrance, returning dance to its ancient roots as a space of listening, embodied time, and ethical reflection. It explores themes of life, and mortality through the bodies of Correa and Proietto, inviting audiences to contemplate what endures, what must be reclaimed, and what we carry forward.
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​"Dance is the most beautiful expression of human movement — it is poetry and body in one. When performed within a physical space, a magical connection emerges between the audience, the dancer, and the surroundings," says Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, Founding Partner of Snøhetta, who initially proposed the idea for the performance.

"To honor the history and myths of Lascaux, we wanted to challenge the Norwegian National Ballet and choreographer Daniel Proietto to interpret the spaces through dance. The result is a magnificent artistic performance by Proietto and Yolanda Correa, adding a completely new dimension to experiencing the wonder and history of Lascaux and the stories painted on its walls."

The complete conception and creation of the work were developed by Daniel Proietto in close dialogue with the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Know Nation and Snøhetta. All photographs and film were created by OiOiOi at Lascaux IV.

While Hidden is being performed live in Lascaux IV for the first time on 19 September, a short version premiers on the Norwegian National Ballet & Opera, Know Nation and Snøhetta's social media accounts. 

A full-length version of the performance will be available at www.know-nation.com from October, 2025.

​Another performance of Hidden will take place at the opening of Artonov Festival in Brussels on the 3rd of October.