Rachid Ouramdane's "Corps extrêmes" on tour in Asia
Published on 9 October 2024
With Corps Extrêmes, Rachid Ouramdane stages acrobats and athletes in a perilously choreographed set that defies the laws of gravity and propels them to the top. A veritable ode to freedom, solidarity and performance, the show is currently on tour across Europe before heading to Asia in the autumn, with support from the French Institute's IF Export program.
An essential choreographer
A native of Nîmes, where he was born in 1971, Rachid Ouramdane has made a name for himself as a dancer and choreographer of contemporary dance. In 1992, he graduated from the Centre national de danse contemporaine d'Angers, and went on to dance alongside Hervé Robbe, Emmanuelle Huynh, Catherine Contour, Alain Buffard, Jeremy Nelson, Odile Duboc and Meg Stuart. He founded his own company L'A in 2007. Through multiple projects combining dance and documentary, he collaborates with video artists, lighting designers and musicians.
A high-flying performance
In Corps Extrêmes, Rachid Ouramdane has brought together acrobats, aerialists and top athletes, including record-breaking tightrope walker Nathan Paulin, to attempt the challenge of dancing in the air. The installed climbing wall is used as a launching pad, but also as a projection surface, to stage breathtaking stunts and present magnificent landscapes. Thought of as an aerial ballet, the show seeks to defy gravity, while allowing these artists to take flight.
An ode to surpassing oneself
Rachid Ouramdane imagines a reflection on freedom, testing everyone's limits and their ability to go further. Using testimonials from the athletes broadcast during the show, he recounts their relationship with suspension and emptiness, while questioning their sensitivity and ability to evolve in the world around them. On the edge of the precipice, the artists soar, soar, help and carry each other through a perilous choreography, driven by the desire to evoke surpassing oneself, solidarity and personal challenges.
Touring in Asia
Popularly acclaimed during its Paris performances, Corps Extrêmes will now go on tour not only in Europe, but also in Asia. First performed in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, in September 2024, it will also be seen at the Palais des Arts in Charleroi on October 3 and 4. From October 11, it will be possible to see the shows across Asia, with a run in Shanghai on October 11 and 12, in Saitama, Japan, on October 26 and 27, then in Kyoto on November 2 and 3. Corps Extrêmes will then return to France for a few dates in Béziers, then Brest, while continuing its tour in Singapore, before heading to Taipei from March 28 to 30, 2025 and Hong Kong from May 30 to June 1, 2025.
IF Export
IF Export provides international support for French or French-based creators and cultural partners, for projects involving distribution, cooperation or presence at major prescriptor events.
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