Alain Platel (1956) is a qualified special-needs teacher and self-taught director. He got together with family and friends in 1984 to start a small group which would work collectively. Their production Emma (1998) was the first time he gave clear signals that his main interest would lie in direction. He has been behind productions such as Bonjour Madame(1999), La Tristeza Complice (1995) and Lets op Bach(1998) which took les ballets C de la B - as the group was now calling itself - up into the international firmament. His collaboration with Arne Sierens and the Gent Youth Theatre’s Victoria company had a similar effect with the three productions Moeder en Kind(1995), Beradetje(1996) and Alemaal Indiaan(1999). After Alemaan Indiaan, Platel wanted to stop creating his own productions, but Gerard Mortier persuaded him to do Wolf in 2003, which like Requiem pour Lwas also based on Mozart’s music. His collaboration with Fabrizio Cassol started with a choral project, vsprs(2006) in conjunction with the opening of the new KVS, the Belgian national opera house in Brussels. In other words, the idea of giving up making his own productions came to nothing. Platel has regularly produced productions, including Coup Fatalin collaboration with Cassol, which was performed at Dansens Hus in 2015, Tauberbachwhich was performed in 2014 and Gardeniain 2011 in collaboration with the CODA International Dance Festival.