Saturday, October 4 at 8PM
Intense, image-rich movement by choreographer-dancer Hind Benali accompanied by a live-recorded soundscape traces the personal interiors and public exteriors of Moroccan life in IDENTITY/IDENTITÉ, a new work created for the company’s USA tour. In this evening-length piece, Benali, fellow dancer Soufiane Karim, and composer-musician Mohcine Imraharn document the warp and weft of this crossroads of past and present, of Africa and Europe.
An intimate exchange between artists and audiences, it is dedicated to Benali’s exploration of the circumstances and desires of her life as a woman, a Muslim, an Arab, and a North African. On stage, her beloved roots coexist with cultural ambivalence, the double-edged sword of invisibility, connection to the past, and religious devotion.
“The multi-talented Hind Benali is at the forefront of the contemporary dance scene in Morocco.” – Morocco: Globalization and its Consequences
IDENTITY/IDENTITÉ is created and performed in collaboration with Franco-Moroccan hip hop dancer, Soufiane Karim. The piece’s soundscape is composed of live and recorded music by multi-instrumentalist Mohcine Imrharn, interwoven with found sounds. Strikingly lyrical calligraphy by artist Yacine Fadhil will be projected on the stage and dancers. Additional video imagery by Benali documents shrines, stories of elderly Moroccans about their youth, and sounds of the traditional markets to conjure and share environments that have formed her life and those of her forbearers.
Cover photo by Alice Dufour-Feronce