Oüm - Compagnie Massala - Fouad Boussouf
Premiere 22 February 2020, Théâtre Benoît XII, Festival Les Hivernales CDCN d’Avignon
The story of a starkly modern diva (Oum Kalthoum) who could improvise for hours and dress up as a man if she so desired and an 11th century Persian poet (Omar Khayyam) who celebrates intoxication and trance.
After Transe in 2013 and Näss (People) in 2018, with his latest work, OÜM, choreographer Fouad Boussouf closes a triptych dedicated to the Arab world. The great turbulence in the region in recent years resonates with his personal memories sparked by traditional music and dance.
He continues his research on a physical, almost tribal dance, where the performers’ bodies are pushed to their physical limits, in the form of a repetitive, meditative or exhilarating trance – a recurring topic in his work.
Tour 2020
22 Feb 2020, Théâtre Benoît XII, Festival Les Hivernales CDCN d’Avignon (premiere)
27-28 Feb 2020, POC Alfortville
3-4 March – Pôle Sud – CDCN Strasbourg
6 Mach 2020 – Fontenay-en-Scène, Fontenay-sous-bois
28 March – Staatstheater Darmstadt, Germany
28-29 April – La Rose des Vents, national stage, Lille
5 July 2020 – Festival Terre de Danse, Bressuire (TBC)
11 July 2020 – Teatro Rossini, Civitanova Marche, Festival Civitanova Danza, Italy (TBC)
Oüm rehearsal, residency at Institut Français in Meknès, Morocco, photo by Bertrand Alberge
Look Who’s Coming to Dinner at La MaMa New York during Crossing the Line Festival, Photo © Carlos Cardona
Look Who’s Coming to Dinner
new work by Company SBB – Stefanie Batten Bland
Premiere during Crossing The Line Festival October 3-6 2019, La MaMa New York
Jerome Robbins Award–winning choreographic artist and filmmaker, Stefanie Batten Bland makes her Crossing the Line Festival debut with the world premiere of Look Who’s Coming to Dinner. Inspired by the 1967 Stanley Kramer film starring Sydney Poitier, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, the work pays tribute to those who paved the way toward acceptance in love and life. Set around a transformative dinner setting, seven dance-theatre artists explore access and ritual as they seek a seat at the table. The choreography is set to a new composition by Paul Damien Hogan. Originally developed as a work-in-progress for Juilliard New Dances 2018.
Review by Dance Enthusiast
Review by The Brooklyn Rail
Company SBB in France
6-25 May 2019, Residency and performances in Saint Omer and Mona Bismarck American Center, Paris
With Emilie Camacho, Raphaël Kaney Duverger and Jennifer Payan
16 May – 18H30, GERME, Chapelle des Jésuites, Saint Omer
22 May – 15H-18H : WORKSHOP GERME (info and RSVP)
23 May – 19H : PREVIEW OF BIENVENUE followed by an ARTIST TALK (INVITATION)
24 May – 19H, 20H, 21H, 22H : PERFORMANCES GERME (20 min) / (FREE, RSVP)
25 May – 14H, 15H, 16H, 17H : PERFORMANCES GERME (20 min) / (FREE, RSVP)
Germe is an experience that redefines borders. It is the seed of an idea, the beginning of possibilities. Germe takes place in the moment before definition takes hold. In either an installation durational performance over time or in a theatre, it is the meeting place of art and science, Germe allows an intimate experience with the tendrils of an organism growing and in search of more… More info and trailer.
Bienvenue is an interdisciplinary work featuring choreography by Artistic Director Stefanie Batten Bland, original music by composer Paul Damian Hogan, and set design by visual artist Benjamin Heller. Bienvenue examines the willingness to share space with ethnicities immigrating to one’s country and the changes resulting from each new inclusion, addressing current global and local events during this time of prevailing frontier identity. Trailer
Germe, Photo © Marc Lecureuil
Näss © Charlotte Audureau
Näss (People), Massala Company - Fouad Boussouf, France
Follow 7 male dancers as they explore what it means to be an individual in a community, complete with all its conflicts and contradictions.
Transporting us to the streets of Morocco- where the new and old collide, Massala Dance Company question the roots of modern hip-hop, street and breakdance, drawing inspiration from the cultures and traditions of North Africa.
Performed with impeccable musicality and intense physical power, this is a work that blends diverse dance styles in a dynamic fusion of energies and bodies. Trailer
“I composed NÄSS like a breath, simultaneously physical and mystical, which reminds us how important it is to be firmly rooted in the ground and in one’s land in order to feel its vibrations.” – Fouad Boussouf, Choreographer
“energising dance that urges us to find stories in the swarm” – Aerowaves
Nass tour 2018/2019
29 JANUARY 2019, Théâtre d’Arles, France
1st FEBRUARY 2019, Théâtre Brétigny, France
2nd FEBRUARY 2019, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds, UK
21-23 MARCH 2019, Teatro dell’Aquila, Fermo and Teatro Rossini, Pesaro, Italy
2 APRIL 2019, Le Safran, Amiens, France
3-5 APRIL 2019, CDCN Pôle Sud, Strasbourg, France
18 APRIL 2019, Biennale de Danse du Val-de-Marne, Les Théâtres de Maisons-Alfort
18-19 MAY 2019, Le French May, Hong Kong
24 MAY 2019, ARC for Dance Festival, Athens, Greece
5 JUNE 2019, Festival JUNE EVENTS de l’Atelier de Paris / CDCN
13 JUNE 2019, Festival Perspectives, Saarbrucken, Germany
10-20 JULY 2019, Les Hivernales CDCN d’Avignon, France
21 JULY 2019, San Vincenti Festival, Croatia
28 JULY 2019, Beijing Dance Festival, Beijing, China
2-3 AUGUST 2019, Shanghai International Dance Center, Shanghai, China
Nass tour 2019/2020
3 SEPTEMBER 2019, Norrlandsoperan, Umea, Sweden
6-7 SEPTEMBER 2019, Dansens Hus, Oslo, Norway
16 SEPTEMBER – 18 OCTOBER 2019, Tour Sweden, incl Dansens Hus Stockholm
22 OCTOBER 2019, Chai du Terral, Montpellier (TBC)
24-27 OCTOBER 2019, Trans’Urbaines, Clermont Ferrand (TBC)
15 NOVEMBRE 2019, L’Alpilium, Saint-Rémy-de-Province, France
19-21 NOVEMBER 2019, La Filature, scène nationale de Mulhouse
22 NOVEMBER 2019, Espace Culturel Boris Vian, Les Ulis
29-30 NOVEMBER 2019, Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
6-7 DECEMBER 2019, Les Rencontres trans musicales de Rennes, Rennes
12 DECEMBER 2019, December Dance 2019, Bruges, Belgium
4 FEBRUARY 2020, Espace Michel-Simon, Noisy-le-Grand
7 MARCH 2020, KVS, Fesival Lesarts Urbains, Brussels, Belgium
17 MARCH 2020, Moulin du Roc, scène nationale de Niort
21 MARCH 2020, Festival Le Grand Bain, La Nouvelle Scène Est de la Somme & Le Gymnase CDCN de Roubaix
19 MAY 2020, Théâtre de l’Olivier, Istres
28-29 MAY 2020, CCAM Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, scène nationale
Bienvenue欢迎WelcomeBienvenidoأه بك
12-14 July 2018, Spoleto Festival of 2 Worlds, Spoleto La MaMa Open
Bienvenue is an interdisciplinary work featuring choreography by Artistic Director Stefanie Batten Bland, original music by composer Paul Damian Hogan, and set design by visual artist Benjamin Heller. Bienvenue examines the willingness to share space with ethnicities immigrating to one’s country and the changes resulting from each new inclusion, addressing current global and local events during this time of prevailing frontier identity.
PRESS
Spoleto Festival Umbria24 Review
Dance Europe Magazine Review
Interview with Stefanie Batten Bland @ Dance Enthusiast
Näss © Charlotte Audureau
A new collaboration for Art Pier - Development and Distribution for Massala Dance Company, France
Currently touring Näss, selected by Aerowaves European Dance Network as the work of one of the most promising emerging European choreographers in 2018.
Massala Dance Company
First you will hear the rhythm, immemorial and haunting. On these beats, seven male dancers come together, mixing hip hop and traditional dance patterns. Amid communion and violence, ‘Näss’ takes you to the streets of Morocco where modernity and traditions meet.
Here You Will Find What You Need Encuentre aqui lo que necesitas, exhibition by F. Emmanuel Bastien
2 May – 2 June 2018, Soho Photo Gallery, New York
You will find what you need, not what you want or what you are dreaming of. I was struck by the utilitarian nature of this slogan painted on a store window. In Cuba, the government wage is approximately $20 a month. Anything can become a financial emergency, and everything is for sale from dead flowers to your girlfriend’s shoes.
F. Emmanuel Bastien
Opening Reception – 1st May, 6-8PM
© Manolo Garriga
Argos Teatro and 10 Million win the prestigious Latin ACE Awards
Next shows: 19-20 May 2018, The Kennedy Center, Washington DC
After winning the National Cuban Theatre Award (Premio Nacional de Teatro) and touring across the United States in 2017 (L. A., Miami, New York), Carlos Celdrán’s celebrated autobiographical play has been distinguished in several categories of the prestigious ACE Awards. The award ceremony will take place in New York in March 2018.
10 Million is a depiction of the life of a young boy during the 70’s and 80’s in Cuba. A boy growing up in the tumultuous aftermath of Fidel Castro’s revolution. Torn between the ideals of his communist mother and his alienated middle-class father, he seeks to find his own way in a world turned upside down by history. 10 Million is a portrayal of a generation.
“Without concession or censure, « 10 Million » offers a realistic version of Cuban history by delving into the upstart of the Cuban Revolution, the rejection of homosexuality, and the trauma of the massive exodus and even the disillusion in politics.” – El Nuevo Herald
« Groundbreaking play unearths memories of Cuban trauma » – Miami Herald
Bienvenue欢迎WelcomeBienvenidoأه بك Pentacle ART Showcase
14 January 2018, New York City Center
Bienvenue is an interdisciplinary work featuring choreography by Artistic Director Stefanie Batten Bland, original music by composer Paul Damian Hogan, and set design by visual artist Benjamin Heller. Bienvenue examines the willingness to share space with ethnicities immigrating to one’s country and the changes resulting from each new inclusion, addressing current global and local events during this time of prevailing frontier identity.
PRESS
Dance Europe Magazine Review
Interview with Stefanie Batten Bland @ Dance Enthusiast
Sunday, 14 January 2018, 3:30 – 4:30 PM @New York City Center, Studio 4
Photo © Benjamin Heller
Video © Manuproductions
El merito es estar vivo, © F. Emmanuel Bastien, Manuphotos
El merito es estar vivo, exhibition by F. Emmanuel Bastien, 6-30 Dec. 2017
at Soho Photo Gallery, New York
« The streets of Havana are almost empty. There is no music or alcohol allowed and most businesses are closed. The anxiety is palpable.
At the news of Fidel Castro’s death I went to Cuba to photograph flag-waving, teary-eyed faces along the funeral procession.
Instead, in search of capturing the mood during the nine-day morning period, I quickly found myself staring at fugitive figures reflected in the windows of closed shops. »
F. Emmanuel Bastien
Opening reception, 5 December 2017, Soho Photo Gallery
10 Million by Argos Teatro, Cuba at Encuentro de las Americas, L.A., November 2017
written & directed by Carlos Celdrán (Premio nacional de teatro)
Encuentro de las Americas, 5-17 November 2017 – book tickets
10 Million is a depiction of the life of a young boy during the 70’s and 80’s in Cuba. A boy growing up in the tumultuous aftermath of Fidel Castro’s revolution. Torn between the ideals of his communist mother and his alienated middle-class father, he seeks to find his own way in a world turned upside down by history. 10 Million is a portrayal of a generation.
“Without concession or censure, « 10 Million » offers a realistic version of Cuban history by delving into the upstart of the Cuban Revolution, the rejection of homosexuality, and the trauma of the massive exodus and even the disillusion in politics.” – El Nuevo Herald
« Groundbreaking play unearths memories of Cuban trauma » – Miami Herald
©Manolo Garriga
Bienvenue, Company Stefanie Batten Bland, © Theo Coté
World premiere of Bienvenue, New York, 25-28 May, 2017
at LaMaMa Moves! Dance Festival
Bienvenue is an interdisciplinary work featuring choreography by Artistic Director Stefanie Batten Bland, original music by composer Paul Damian Hogan, and set design by visual artist Benjamin Heller. Bienvenue examines the willingness to share space with ethnicities immigrating to one’s country and the changes resulting from each new inclusion, addressing current global and local events during this time of prevailing frontier identity.
PRESS
Dance Europe Magazine Review
Review by Solomons Says
Interview with Stefanie Batten Bland @ Dance Enthusiast
Interview with the French Embassy in New York
ABC NY TV reportage on the making of Welcome with the community at University Settlement
Theatrum Mundi, Astragali Teatro in Paris, 26 May, 2017
at Le 100 ECS in partnership with La Maison d’Europe et d’Orient
The Repetition – a performance directed by Fabio Tolledi
A journey through the performing arts in Europe. International cast of actors from Bulgaria, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands & Turkey.
Watch the Rai3 video (in Italian)
La Répétition, mise en scène de Fabio Tolledi
Une compagnie ambulante tente de mettre en scène une comédie classique, l’Amphitryon de Plaute. Mais rien ne marche. On ne trouve pas le théâtre. Les acteurs n’arrivent pas. On ne sait plus très bien ce qui se dessine : un spectacle de variétés, une comédie grotesque du siècle dernier, ou encore une histoire vieille de deux millénaires ? Les genres sont mélangés : Comédie, ou roman d’espionnage ? Drame sentimental, ou musical ? Farce, ou tragédie ? …
More information on the project website
Astragali Teatro, La Proba, © Marina Colucci
Bienvenue, Company Stefanie Batten Bland, © Theo Coté
US Premiere of 10 Million, Argos Teatro, Cuba, March 2017
written & directed by Carlos Celdrán (Premio nacional de teatro)
Miami, 24-26 March, 2017 & NYC, 29-30 March, 2017
10 Million is a depiction of the life of a young boy during the 70’s and 80’s in Cuba. A boy growing up in the tumultuous aftermath of Fidel Castro’s revolution. Torn between the ideals of his communist mother and his alienated middle-class father, he seeks to find his own way in a world turned upside down by history. 10 Million is a portrayal of a generation.
“Without concession or censure, « 10 Million » offers a realistic version of Cuban history by delving into the upstart of the Cuban Revolution, the rejection of homosexuality, and the trauma of the massive exodus and even the disillusion in politics.” – El Nuevo Herald
« Groundbreaking play unearths memories of Cuban trauma » – Miami Herald
A Different American Dream at Cinema Village, New York, 7-9 January 2017
a film by Simon Brook & Jane Wells
In the magical Badlands of North Dakota, the Fort Berthold Indian reservation sits right in the middle of the largest shale field in North America. Members of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation find themselves locked in a Faustian struggle: accept the potential financial enrichment of the tribe from oil extraction at the cost of the future health of their ancestral homelands.
A Different American Dream explores their dilemma through the eyes of tribal members as they pursue what turn out to be few options.
The film is an elegy of the magnificent landscape as it is being decimated by oil extraction and a people, victims of economic imprisonment, struggling to defend their culture, their history and their future.
« More true to its title than viewers may expect, the doc cares more about underlying principles than the details of any one controversy. » – The Hollywood Reporter
Siempre listo para la próxima tormenta, Fragmented Reflections, © F. Emmanuel Bastien, Manuphotos
Fragmented Reflections, exhibition by F. Emmanuel Bastien, 5-29 October 2016
at Soho Photo Gallery, New York
« I am drawn to the dimensional contradictions within reflections.
The reflections flatten onto one plane multiple dimensional layers that would not otherwise interact, revealing a new dimension.
I watch this moving canvas: the glass, what is behind the glass, the fragments reflected in the glass and what evolves in between, waiting to create a new narrative, shrouded in mystery, dreaminess and uncertainty. »
F. Emmanuel Bastien