Omar Rajeh | Maqamat (LBN)
Dance is not for us
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Dance is not for us is a powerful solo, in which Omar Rajeh undertakes a personal journey through memories, longing and trauma. With his intense and impulsive performance, he expresses his pain at the decline of his home city Beirut – once a place of peace, now marked by economic collapse and foreign political control. His dance embodies the sense of helplessness and the chaotic whirl of rage and despair. In the title of his piece, he asserts that we have no right to dance. And he knows precisely how to embody this: “We take our pain and go on tour with it. We dance with it.” Rajeh’s body tells of the sacrifices that the Lebanese people is having to make and reminds us of a past that could not be transposed into the future. Alone on stage he creates new rules and structures that symbolise hope. Dance is not for us asks crucial questions about power, identity and the role of dance in the world today.
Omar Rajeh is a renowned figure in contemporary dance, making a significant impact in Lebanon and the Arab world. In 2002, he founded the contemporary dance company Maqamat and in 2004, the Beirut International Platform of Dance (BIPOD). In 2017, Maqamat completed one of ist most ambitious projects, building Citerne Beirut, an innovative cultural centre and one of its kind in Lebanon. Citerne Beirut was forced to be dismantled in August 2019 due to the economic and political collapse in the country. In December 2019, Omar Rajeh moved to Lyon, France and launched the digital platform Citerne.live. He was distinguished by the French Ministry of Culture with the title of ‘Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters).
In Arabic and English language
Artist Talk: June 12 after the performance (in English)
Concept, Stagedesign & Choreography: Omar Rajeh
Choreographic Assistance: Mia Habis
Dramaturgy: Peggy Olislaegers
Composition: Joss Turnbull & Charbel Haber
Lightdesign & Technics: Christian François
Administration: Sergio Chianca
Production Management & Coordination: Amina Onsy
Supported by DRAC Auvergne Rhône-Alpes
Special thanks to CN D à Lyon, Sima Performing Arts – Alserkal Avenue, Amadeus – école de danse et de musique.