Retour en Avant / Past Forward Biennale de la Danse Lyon - France

Agwa / créationA la source d’Agwa, une rencontre : cellede Mourad Merzouki avec la CompanhiaUrbana de Dança lors de la Biennale dela Danse de Lyon en 2006. Une rencontreen forme de reflet. Originaires du Brésil,les 10 danseurs de la compagnie ont deshistoires aux cours sinueux qui plongentleurs racines dans les favelas et qui fontressurgir des souvenirs de la même eau auchorégraphe de Käfig. Ayant grandi dansla marginalité, ils ont tous puisé dans leurpassion pour la danse la rage de s’en sortiret d’aller vers l’autre. Une rencontre à laconfluence de plusieurs univers. Encadrés etmis en scène par Sonia Destri, leur chorégrapheattitrée, les danseurs de la CompanhiaUrbana de Dança diluent et mélangentsans aucun complexe hip-hop, capoeira,samba, musique électronique et bossa novapour faire émerger une danse aux acrobatiesépoustouflantes, bourrée d’énergie etd’invention… Dans la même veine que Käfigqui s’abreuve à de multiples courants chorégraphiqueset artistiques pour faire jaillirson propre mode d’expression. Bref, unerencontre qui coule de source et débouchedeux ans plus tard sur un spectacle communplacé sous le signe de l’eau (« agoa » enportugais), à la fois composant essentiel denotre corps, ressource naturelle précieuse,vitale même, que l’on se doit d’économiseret de préserver et symbole de renouveau.Chorégraphiée par Mourad Merzouki, Agwaest imprégnée de ce triple enjeu. Sur scène,les 10 danseurs de la Companhia Urbana deDança tourbillonneront autour d’une fontaineoù ils se désaltèreront régulièrementjusqu’à ce que l’eau vienne à manquer…Suite Funk Carioca e suburbana /créationSuite Funk, sous titrée Carioca e suburbana,est une pièce librement inspirée de la culturedes favelas et de leur fameux bal funk, quiréunit chaque fin de semaine des dizaines demilliers de jeunes cariocas. Un spectacle deSonia Destri en cours de création.Comment le passé peut-il définir l’avenir ?Les identités sont construites sur les mémoiresde chacun, sur les histoires de chaque individu enparticulier et du groupe en général. Nous sommesde Rio de Janeiro, des descendants des Africains, despersonnes nées en Amérique et issues pour la plupartde l’immigration. Nous sommes donc jeunes sur cetteplanète en mouvement. Nos chemins et nos dansesreflètent ce que nous étions, ce que nous sommes et ilsdessinent notre présent et influencent notre futur. Ainsila mémoire et l’identité sont en constante évolution.Sonia DestriFace au tableau plutôt noir que l’on peut facilementfaire du futur – individualisme, uniformisation desmodes de vie et de pensée, risques écologiquesaccrus… – on ne dit jamais assez l’importance dupassé pour construire l’avenir. Pourtant, le passé nepeut «dessiner» le futur que s’il est mis en valeur. Il estnécessaire de se rappeler les événements passés pouren tirer des leçons pour l’avenir - c’est là le but mêmede l’Histoire. De ce point de vue, le XXème siècle estjalonné de périodes fortes, qui ont marqué l’histoiretant individuelle que collective. Ce passé n’est passi lointain et ses réminiscences viennent éclairer leprésent et le futur, à la manière d’une sirène d’incendiequi nous prévient des dangers qui nous guettent...si nous prenons le temps de tendre l’oreille. C’estpour cela que la possibilité d’accéder au passé, à lamémoire passée, par l’image notamment, me paraîtindispensable pour pouvoir construire le futur.Mourad MerzoukiInfo + Première mondiale2 représentations jeune publicCompagnie invitée à la Biennale 2006Sonia DestriSonia Destri is a well known and recognisedchoreographer in Brazil. Returning home afterspells in many European countries, Germanyin particular, she thought of founding a dancecompany that would combine urban spirit andBrazilian culture. This promising union gave riseto Urbana de Dança, a unique outfit with rootsin hip-hop, contemporary dance and capoeira.Its members are young men – all b-boys andcapoeiristas – from different social classes inRio de Janeiro. This young, bold company hasinvented a new choreographic language with itsown vocabulary. “Our legs are in Rio, our mindsare in Los Angeles, and our arms are stretchedbetween New York and Tokyo. We’re an urbandance company whose style derives from thepops and locks of breakdancing, the dexterity ofcapoeira and the rounded, sensual and emotivemoves of samba. We create deconstructeddance in young bodies, while keeping the streetand ghetto spirit alive through b-boy battles, thecapoeira roda (circle) and all of their underlyingcultures and rites.”Mourad MerzoukiFrom the school of circus to the hip hop dance…Born in Lyon in 1973 and of Kabyle origin,Mourad Merzouki started learning martial andcircus arts ever since he was seven years old.At the age of fifteen years old, his discovery ofthe hip hop culture led him towards the danceworld. He soon decided to develop his hip hopmovements with more professional goals. Healso didn’t hesitate to confront himself withother choreographic languages, particularlythose of Maryse Delente, Jean-Francois Duroureand Josef Nadj. The wealth of his path stronglymade him want to carry out his artistic projects,mixing hip hop to his experience of learninghow to work on stage and produce spectacularexercises. And that’s what he did in 1989 whenhe created his first company with other dancers.In 1994 the company performed Athina at theDance Biennale of Lyon. The piece was a realsuccess that managed to transpose the streethip hop to the stage, without letting the urbanmovement lose its real identity. His first tourtook place in the refugee camps of Croatia duringthe war. There, he realizes that dance couldbe a powerful means to communicate in difficultand extreme circumstances. In 1996, in orderto develop his own artistic universe linked to hisstory and sensibility, Mourad Merzouki decidedto found his own company, KÄFIG.Mourad Merzouki received the prize «NewTalent Choregraphy», of the SACD (2006).In 2004 he was promoted Chevalier des Arts bythe French Minister of Culture and Communication.and he was awarded the prize of the bestyoung choreographer at the International DanceFestival of Wolfsburg, Germany.Agwa / premiering at theBiennaleAgwa flowed from Mourad Merzouki’s meetingwith Companhia Urbana de Dança at the 2006Biennale – an encounter that embodied thought.The company’s ten Brazilian dancers havecomplex life-stories rooted in the favelas – a backgroundthat conjures memories akin to thoseof the Käfig company’s choreographer. Aftergrowing up on the edge, their passion for dancehas stoked their will to find an escape route andreach out to others.Their collaboration straddled several worlds. Thedancers of Companhia Urbana de Dança, directedby their regular choreographer Sonia Destri,blithely dilute and blend hip-hop, capoeira,samba, electronica and bossa nova to producedance studded with staggering acrobatics andbrimming with energy and inventiveness – in asimilar vein to Käfig, which drinks from multiplechoreographic and artistic wells to craft its ownform of expression.In short, this was an encounter that madeobvious sense. It led, two years later, to a jointshow on the theme of water (agoa in Portuguese),which is at once an essential componentof our body; a precious and even vital natural resource,to be saved and protected; and a symbolof renewal. Agwa, choreographed by MouradMerzouki, is informed by these three ideas. Onstage, the ten dancers of Companhia Urbanade Dança swirl around a fountain, regularlyrefreshing themselves until... it dries up.Suite Funk / premiering at theBiennaleSuite Funk, subtitled Carioca e suburbana, isa work in progress for the young dancers ofCompanhia Urbana de Dança.How can the past shape the future?Identity is built around memory, around each individual’shistories in particular and the group’s in general.We live in Rio de Janeiro, we are descended from Africansand born in the Americas, mostly to immigrantparents. So we are youngsters on this moving planet.Our lifepaths and dances reflect what we were andwhat we are; they shape our present and influenceour future. Memory and identity are thus constantlyevolving.Sonia DestriGiven the fairly gloomy predictions it’s easy to makeabout the future – individualism, uniformisation oflifestyles and modes of thinking, increased environmentalrisks and so on – one cannot overstate theimportance of the past in building the future. And yetthe past can only “shape” the future if it is deemedvaluable. Past events must be recalled in order todraw conclusions for the future – that is precisely thepurpose of History. In this respect, the 20th centurywas marked by milestone periods that influenced bothindividual and collective history. This not-so-distantpast, and our reminiscences, shed light on present andfuture, like a fire alarm warning us of lurking dangers...if we take time to listen. That’s why I feel access to thepast and memories of it – through images in particular– is indispensable for building the future.Mourad MerzoukiExtra info: World Premiere2 matinées for young audienceThe company performed at the 2006Biennale17