Maguy Marin began her dance studies at the age of eight at the Conservatory of Toulouse, where one of her teachers was Nina Vyrubova. She was later engaged at the Opéra de Strasbourg and joined Maurice Béjart's Mudra school. Marin participated in the formation of a group called "Chandra," directed by Micha Van Hoecke. She collaborated with Carolyn Carlson and became a dancer with Maurice Béjart's "Ballet du XXème siècle," where she performed numerous solo roles. In 1976, she created a choreography for the company titled "Yu-ku-ri."
In 1977 and 1978, Marin won first prizes at the International Choreography Competitions in Nyon and Bagnolet, respectively. In 1978, she co-founded the Ballet Théâtre de l’Arche with Daniel Ambash, which later became known as the Compagnie Maguy Marin in 1984. The company established its permanent base in Créteil in 1981. That same year, Marin created "May B," a production inspired by the works of Samuel Beckett, which catapulted her to international acclaim. The 200th performance of "May B" took place in May 1986 at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan.
The first Italian performance of "May B" occurred at the Oriente Occidente Festival in Rovereto in September 1982. From 1978 to the present, Maguy Marin has created around twenty choreographies. Besides "May B," her most significant works include "La jeune fille et la mort" (1979), "Babel Babel" (1982), "Hymen" (1984), "Calmbre" (1985), "Cendrillon" (1985), "Eden" (1986), and "I sette peccati capitali" (1987). "Coups d’Etats" debuted at the Montpellier Danse Festival in July 1988.
Marin describes "Coups d’Etats" as starting from the idea of a forest, where one gets lost, leading to the concept of a labyrinth, and finally to the idea of a game. She explores the theme of power, a recurrent thread throughout her work, without intending to politicize her performances. Marin presents "Coups d’Etats" as a series of "tough and naive" children's games, where power is depicted as a general mechanism, timeless and placeless, revealed by a king and his court of jesters. The subsequent coups within the simple, earthy stage setting portray a monarch always being overthrown due to abuse of power, followed by the people celebrating a new king who soon replicates the same behavior.
"My parents are Spanish political refugees," Marin reveals, "who have paid for their political commitment throughout their lives. This fact has marked me and is something I am very proud of. It has also shaped my worldview: I see a world full of people who find pleasure only in exercising power." "Coups d’Etats" reflects this perspective, offering a portrayal of power dynamics deeply influenced by Marin's personal history and artistic vision.