BOXE BOXE by Käfig Dance Company (Le French May 2011) 高飛舞蹈團︰拳舞交鋒

Bright red boxing gloves, punching bags, and curious moving chairs serve as comical props to chessboard floors and a wrought iron décor that borders on Tim Burton madness, in Boxe Boxe, by Käfig Dance Company.

We are drawn into a surreal world of boxing expressed by the artful use of street-dance and sport accompanied by a live, onstage string quartet who summon into the ring unique renditions of Ravel, Verdi, Mendelssohn, and Schubert.

Dynamic dancers and a spherical, burlesque-like referee deliver crafty footwork and calculated kicks in a choreography packed with a punch. Movement is adorned in flowing fabrics or body-hugging boxing gear and accentuated by cleverly orchestrated lighting.

Expect modern dance fused with boxing and martial arts unleashed with relentless stamina, and a light sense of humour underpinned by darker shades that portray the fragility, rivalry, and competitiveness found in these disciplines.

Käfig Dance Company was formed in 1996 by Mourad Merzouki. Born in Lyon in 1973, he trained in circus and martial arts from the age of seven. When he was fifteen he discovered hip-hop and began exploring the world of dance.

His Company has received critical acclaim for its innovative performances, and also set Merzouki apart as a poetic, risk-taking choreographer who transcends stereotypes by merging different dance genres to create a new form of expression that defies categorisation -- and his latest production is no exception.

"Boxing is a form of dance", he says. "Each aspect of boxing has an equivalent in choreography. The excitement of combat and the fear of playing in front of a full house, and that great feeling of letting yourself go, of achieving absolute fulfilment in that magic moment".

"Boxe Boxe" if full of magic moments: it is unlike anything imagined so far...

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Boxe Boxe
• Mourad Merzouki
• Käfig Dance Company
• Le French May
• Arts Festival
• 2011
• Hong Kong

[Chrislamalouine]

Magnifique spectacle, que j'ai eu le bonheur de découvrir samedi soir à l'Espace Marcel Carné à Saint-Michel sur Orge !