Dance is not for us

premiere, 8 June 2023, Théâtre Monnot

A new solo creation choreographed and performed by Omar Rajeh, where he takes us into his dance and autobiographical universe, looking into the ‘performance’ as a gathering and a shared experience. The dancing body creates its own rules, its own structure, and its own inspirations, as an act of hope, in opposition to structures of power that diminish such dynamics towards normality and fear.

Alone onstage, he dances and speaks of an intimate past that exists no more, of a fading image, and a deceiving one as well. A past that did not transfer into a future but one that was stopped. The images, the meanings, the feelings, the people, the happy moments, everything froze. As if today he deals with a World with no past. As if the story of today do not fit with the past images of his life.


Duration

60’

Concept and choreography Omar Rajeh Assistant choreographer Mia Habis Dramaturgy Peggy Olislaegers Music composition Joss Turnbull, Charbel Haber Light Design & Technical director Christian François Administrator Jean-Louis Pagnon Special thanks CN D à Lyon, Sima Performing Arts, Al-Serkal Avenue- Dubai, Amadeus- Beirut With the support of the DRAC - Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Photos by Elizabeth Pearl

A production  of Omar Rajeh | Maqamat

It might have been weird on many levels that I chose dance in a country that was coming out of civil war, destruction, death, and loss. However, dance at the time seemed to be the most revolutionary, the most provocative, and the most confrontational.

__ Omar Rajeh

  • Omar Rajeh fragments the "body" of Beirut

    -Khalil el-Haj Ali, Al-Akhbar newspaper

  • “Omar Rajeh narrates, with his physical creativity, an existential crisis

    — Fidel Sbeiti, Independent

  • As usual, one cannot leave Omar Rajeh’s performance and remain the same person.

    — Aline Mourani

  • Omar Rajeh sees choreography everywhere, in all aspects of life.

    - Pierre Abi Saab

  • La danse n’est pas pour nous, mais ce soir-là Omar Rajeh était entièrement à nous, nous, son public

    - Danny Mallat, L’orient le jour

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