Le Cri

In Le Cri, Nacera Belaza, the French dancer and choreographer of Algerian descent, presents a hypotic duet together with her sister Dalila Belaza.  Based on watching the Sufi whirling dervishes who are renowned the world over, she frees this traditional Islamic dance form of all folkloristic elements and examines its pure movements using criteria from contemporary dance.

While the dervishes enter a state of trance by moving in identical circles to religious songs, Nacera and Dalila Belaza’s dancing is accompanied by both eastern and western sounds; the two women dance identical steps to the arabic songs of Larbi Bestam and tracks by Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone or arias by Maria Callas. The sacred meets the everyday and East meets West on stage in voice, music and dance in an encounter which is both fruitful and intense.

Le Cri was awarded the 2008 French Critics’ Prize for the category Theatre, Music and Dance.

A visiting production, presented for the Ruhrtriennale by PACT Zollverein/Tanzlandschaft.

Producers: Cie, Nacera Belaza. Co-producers: Rencontres Choréographiques Internationales de Seine-Saint-Denis, Le Forum – Scène Conventionée de Blanc-Mesnil, AARC (Agence Algérinenne pour le Rayonnement  Culturel – Ministère de la Culture Algérien), Ambassade de France en Algérie, Centre de Développement Choréographique/Biennale de Danse du Val-de-Marne (dans le cadre de l’accueil-studio), Centre Choréographique National de Caen – Basse-Normandie, Centre Choréographique National de Créteil – Val-de-Marne.

With support from: Drac Île-de-France dans le cadre de l’aide aux companies choréographiques.  Région Île-de-France dans le cadre de la permanence artistique et de l’emploi tremplin.  Conseil Général de la Seine-Saint-Denis, l’Association Beaumarchais, Culturesfrance.