Past dates

  • Usines Fagor

    Lyon

Ever since the unforgettable Tragédie, Olivier Dubois has been shaking up bodies and minds. In Itmahrag, a hymn to freedom, seven Egyptian performers are transcended by mahraganat, a kind of music blending rap and electro.

Welcome to Cairo, a boiling megalopolis of 24 million people. Its iconic sites include the Giza pyramids, the Nile, and Tahrir Square, focal point of the protests leading to the 2011 revolution. It was at that time that mahraganat emerged on the scene, soon to become omnipresent in taxis, local parties and weddings. It’s a popular genre of electronic-dance music, jacked up with Auto-Tune and driven by addictive beats. The dancing is feverishly hopeful, like the youthful masses who have adopted it. Olivier Dubois takes the pulse of this new generation in Cairo, his second home. Itmahrag is both an artistic and an activist adventure: this is the third time the choreographer is working with the B’Sarya arts centre, which supports emerging talents. Five dancers, accompanied by three musicians, will dance in the name of one word: Freedom!

A.M

Duration

1:15

Credits

Company COD – Compagnie Olivier Dubois | Artistic direction and scenography Olivier Dubois | Dancers Ali Abdelfattah, Mohand Qader, Moustafa Jimmy, Mohamed Toto | Music François Caffenne & Ali elCaptin | Musicians Ali elCaptin, ibrahim X, Shobra Elgeneral | Choreographer's assitant Cyril Accorsi | Lighting Emmanuel Gary | Scenography Olivier Dubois et Paf atelier

Production COD - Compagnie Olivier Dubois | Itmahrag is a project implemented in collaboration with B'sarya for arts (Egypt) | Coproductions Le CentQuatre-Paris, Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse (Paris), Biennale de la danse de Lyon 2021, Théâtre Paul Éluard - scène conventionnée d’intérêt national « Art et Création » – danse, Escales Danse - scène conventionnée d’intérêt national « Art et Territoire » – danse (Bezons), Maison de la Culture d’Amiens – Pôle européen de création et de production, Théâtre de Nîmes – scène conventionnée d’intérêt national – Danse contemporaine, Les Halles de Schaerbeek (Belgique), JuliDans Amsterdam Festival (Pays-Bas), RomaEuropa Festival (Italie), La Filature - Scène nationale de Mulhouse, Scène conventionnée de Limoges, Festival Paris l'Eté, Festival euro-scene, Leipzig (Germany) | Supported by D-CAF Orient Production Partnership (Le Caire, Égypte), of Arab Arts Focus & Studio Emad Eddin Stiftelsen, of the SPEDIDAM, a collection and distribution company that manages performers' rights to record, broadcast and reuse recorded performances and the Île-de-France Region | Coproductions B'sarya for arts, The training phase was co-financed by the European Union in collaboration with EUNIC. With the support of the French Institute in Paris | In partersip with l'Institut du Monde Arabe (Paris), TOD'S | Olivier Dubois is an associate artist at Centquatre (Paris). The Compagnie Olivier Dubois is supported by the Ministère de la culture – Direction générale de la création artistique – délégation à la danse. Olivier Dubois is an associate artist at the Théâtre Paul Éluard - scène conventionnée d’intérêt national « Art et Création » – danse, Escales Danse - scène conventionnée d’intérêt national « Art et Territoire » – danse (Bezons) as well as the Théâtre de Nîmes – scène conventionnée d’intérêt national – Danse contemporaine

Co-hosted by the Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon

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Associated show(s)

On saisit très vite que c'est la musique d'une jeunesse qui parle

Olivier Dubois