“We Don’t Choose our Family”
Nine dancers with rich personalities bring a touching and invigorating family portrait to life under the direction of Mehdi Kerkouche.
Family Legacy
The choreographer chose family legacy as the subject for his choreography.
He delivers his version through the electrified bodies of a tribe of dancers from diverse backgrounds. Happy family, embarrassing family, toxic family, absent family. How do you extract yourself from them or, alternatively, take refuge in them? How do you assert your individuality within a family you didn't choose? Relationships evolve and personalities stand out as the sequences unfold in solos, in duets, or in ensemble scores, to the rhythm of Lucie Antunes' organic music.
This portrait, an exploration between our framework and the bonds imposed on us, reveals a contemporary family photo through a mosaic of temperaments and energies.
Note of intent
"In my two previous pieces I explored the group in different forms. First, in DABKEH, I appropriated this traditional dance and, through a contemporary spectrum, the dancers threaten the balance of the collective by abandoning and then recreating connections. Then, ET SI, for the Ballet National de l'Opéra de Paris, I explored survival with the pack relying on, supporting, and accompanying each other on an epic journey. In PORTRAIT, I wanted to continue my research into the collective, first by exploring the ties that are imposed on us, those we create for ourselves, and then the reflection of that landscape.
Immersed in a black-and-white family portrait, the viewer first observes the scene and fantasizes about what we all imagine at first observation, the group seems so united, so connected, how could their lives not be a long, quiet river... until the scene comes to life and reveals the reality of our characters, discovering that behind the scenery, everyone is experiencing the same ups and downs of life: joys, sorrows, losses and pleasures. "
Credits
Vanity Fair
Télérama