After starting his career with André Cellier and Didier Gabilly, it is on the edge of 80, as technical director of the new Maison de la Danse in Lyon that Patrice Besombes discovers dance. He follows tours of Jean-Claude Gallotta and Carolyn Carlson’s companies, and becomes one of their light designers. He designs lights for shows by Catherine Diverrès, Dominique Boivin, Pascale Houbin, Kitsou Dubois and Benjamin Millepied. He returns to theater with Christophe Huysman, Didier Long and expands his palette designing lights for several operas under the direction of Gilbert Deflo in particular.
Collaborator of the International Dance Festival of Montpellier and Vienna Jazz Festival, he joins the company DCA in 1993. At first stage manager for Decodex and Petites pièces montées, he becomes lights designer for Denise, the Ceremony of the 50th International Film Festival of Cannes, then Marguerite, Shazam!, Triton, Iris, Sombreros and Octopus.