Cie Käfig ^(FRA) Pixel 8-9 May 2020

Programme

What is reality and what is digital illusion? Join us on an astonishing journey through unknown poetic galaxies. In "Pixel", choreographer Mourad Merzouki, with groundbreaking 3D digital projections by Adrien M and Claire B, has mixed the synthetic world of computer animation with hip hop, contemporary circus and capoeira.

Eleven street dancers and circus artists in a digital cosmos. Suddenly the ground disappears under their feet. A wave washes up and a collection of dots becomes a snowfall. A performance that will make your stomach churn, your legs tingle and your bench neighbour gasp for breath.

Pixel was created in 2014 and has captivated audiences in over 100 different cities around the world.

At the crossroads of arts, bodies and images merge to create a world of poetry and dreams. Seen now in 30 countries around the world, "Pixel" is a roaring success and mind-blowing mix of virtuoso hip-hop dance with cutting-edge digital projection. With never-before-seen stagecraft, dancers achieve aerial and acrobatic feats in a 3-D digital landscape that changes with their every movement, on ground that shifts beneath their feet, a wave suddenly rises up from the floor, a grid of dots shatters into a flurry of snow... The result is a breathtaking choreography and imagery, offering a glimpse into the exciting possibilities at the border of the virtual world.

With the support of French Institute of Sweden 

About the choreographer

Mourad Merzouki

Mourad Merzouki is one of the leading figures on the French hip hop scene. Since the early 1990s, he has explored the genre by crossing it with other disciplines such as circus, martial arts, art, video and live music. This without losing the social and geographical roots of the hip-hop movement.

In the mid-1990s he founded the Compagnie Käfig in his native Lyon and since 1996 his 30 shows have been performed more than 3000 times in 700 cities in 65 countries.

Since 2009, Merzouki has been director of the Centre chorégraphique national de Créteil et du Val-de-Marne, where he created the Kalypso festival. In 2016, he also became artistic director of Pôle en Scènes in Bron.

MERZOUKI ON "PIXEL":
We are constantly exposed to images, videos and digital media. Screens are everywhere and part of our daily lives. The idea for "Pixel" was born when I met Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne. The fascination I felt at that moment, when I could not distinguish between the virtual and the real world, was the basis for the work. The idea of making the synthetic world of digital projection interact with the reality of the dancers was both inspiring and energising.

The project has been a breathtaking journey for everyone in the company but also a challenge to make these two worlds interact without one taking over. It is about a fine balance between the 3D projections, the dance and the music.