Stéphane Jarny, the artistic conductor of Miss France who magnifies the candidates

With a hat screwed on his head and an unwavering smile on his lips, Stéphane Jarny works in the shadows. Although the general public does not know him, he is nevertheless one of the key figures in the Miss France election.

Artistic director and director, he imagines the entire evening in advance and then carefully puts everything in place. “I work in collaboration with Frédéric Gilbert, the producer, on the theme of the evening then its variation on each paintinghe explains. This represents choices of music, screen graphics, costumes, decor, staging and choreography. The idea is to create a universe so that it is coherent, artistic and visual for the viewer. With, as an additional difficulty, equal passage times on stage, to the nearest second, for each of the candidates, the fairness of the competition requires.

Also read
Miss France: the Netherlands stops its version of the competition, declaring that “times have changed”

A painstaking job that begins in April. “It's a long process, but by September all the artistic content is finished. I then distribute my instructions to the different artistic positions: costumes, lights, sets… » Everything really makes sense only a few days before the election when all the trades come together to set it up. “I create the dynamic and then I need the talent of others in each area. I really have an awareness of teamwork.”

A guide for candidates

But the main challenge of the evening remains to put the 30 candidates at ease so that they learn the choreographies and can show off on election night. A huge challenge when we know that the vast majority of them have never been on stage and that none of them have obviously previously participated in a show broadcast live in front of nearly… 8 million viewers .

To do this, Stéphane Jarny must direct and reassure them during their two (short) weeks of rehearsal. He thus becomes their guide, their landmark. “My role is to make them feel comfortable and confident enough so that they don't have a judgmental look at themselves.he confides. I think from there everything is doable. There are girls who will take more time to learn while others will be more comfortable but, from the moment, when the personality is asserted and the slightest movement is assumed, something will happen. That’s what I’m trying to awaken in them: their ability to be 4000% in the present moment.”

“When I see former Misses again, we fall into each other’s arms again”

Stéphane Jarny

Each year, he succeeds in this feat and forms, during these dense moments when time is limited, very strong bonds with the participants. “There is something very warm that brings us together because we experience moments of intense complicity. When I see former Misses we fall into each other’s arms again because we have formed a very strong relationship”he explains.

Also read
Who will be Miss France 2025? The five favorites of the TV Magazine editorial team and number 1 in our survey

Adaptation as a key word

Every year, adaptation is its key word in order to offer the best possible show. “Every time, I have girls who have different energy and character. What I'm planning doesn't look like what we'll end up with. I like to make tailor-made items based on each person’s personality. I systematically revise my copy to adjust it as best as possible”he specifies.

To deal with possible choreographic omissions linked to the stress inherent in the evening, Stéphane Jarny has thought of everything. He put in place tips allowing young women not to feel alone during the election. “I stand next to the close-up camera with a flag which indicates to them the moment when they must leave the proscenium when their time of passage is over. Next to me, there is Tatiana, the choreographer who mirrors their gestures and movements. This gives them a safety catch-up if they get caught up in stress and have a memory lapse or can't hear the music. It’s a security to continue the show. »

Also read
“We contacted men but…”: the boss of Miss France, Frédéric Gilbert, responds to criticism of the 100% female jury

It must be said that live broadcasting and the world of television hold no secrets for Stéphane Jarny. He discovered dance late in life, at the age of 18, by accompanying his sister to her class. And it is on the small screen, precisely, that he quickly exercises his talents. Trained by the choreographer Redha, he began as a dancer in clips, shows and broadcasts like “Champs-Élysées” with Michel Drucker. He then met Kamel Ouali and assisted him in the preparation of his major shows such as The ten commandments then during the first two seasons of “Star Academy”.

He then created the choreographies for the show “In Search of the New Star” on M6 for eight years. “Over the years, I went from choreographer to director to artistic directorrelate-t-il. So I'm still in the same universe but in positions that have taken me from in front of the camera to behind it. It happened naturally. My background as a dancer and choreographer now allows me to have an understanding of staging and artistic direction. »

Also read
Miss France, her secret to longevity, her friends in the profession… Jean-Pierre Foucault with an open heart

Live in the blood

For five years, he has exported his talents by ensuring the artistic direction of the Italian TV show “Amici”, with singers and dancers, broadcast on Canal 5 and which has enjoyed enormous success.

He also takes care of the staging of “Star Academy” on TF1 every week. A return to his sources which delights him. But which offers him a lively pace of life. This weekend, he had to be replaced for yesterday's show, because of the prime time of “Miss France”.
Working in a live environment is ultimately what he prefers. “You have to be constantly alerthe declares. I must, with my teams, bring into harmony in record time everything we have planned in our heads and bounce back if something unexpected happens. You can't cut or redo, you have to continue. I like this urgency. Sometimes it's not comfortable either for the people on stage or for us behind the scenes but it often gives moments of great sincerity which become real moments of television. »