COMPAGNIE AMALA DIANOR

They call themselves whacking, dancehall, hell, jookin and pantsula. Streamed via social media, these urban dances 2.0 come from specific communities located in Korea, Europe, the United States or South and West Africa. Their performers, as connected as they are virtuosic, draw their rhythmic energy from DJ beats remixing traditional or popular music. While borrowing from the choreographic references of their elders of the hip-hop generation, they invent a free and hybrid movement which inspires Amala Dianor. The choreographer therefore chose to meet them physically in their various places of life, accompanied by photographer Grégoire Korganow. Following the process of appropriation of Dub music, which distorts acoustic reggae by mixing it with electronic sounds, he then invited them to move and extend their respective dance techniques around a common field of experimentation, an “ephemeral territory conceived as a space of encounter”. In the same spirit, the visual device of the room is inspired by the spaces seen on site, from the collective ballroom to the private apartment, while Awir Léon’s musical composition is nourished by influences specific to each practice. From reference to (re)creation, a living, creative, enjoyable picture of today’s dances.

AMALA DIANOR COMPANY

After a brilliant career as a performer, Amala Dianor created his Kaplan company in 2012. From his solo Man Rec in 2014, where he explored his African origins, to The Falling Stardust (2019) for nine contemporary and classic dancers or Emaphakathini (2022) for the Via Katlehong, he happily blends forms and styles between hip-hop, his artistic homeland, and the contemporary – he was trained at the Angers CNDC. In 2021, he also directed the CinéDance short films with Grégoire Korganow.