Cover Mourad Merzouki has been invited by the Olympics committee to create a hip-hop dance performance for the Games (Photo: courtesy of Mourad Merzouki)
Mourad Merzouki has been invited by the Olympics committee to create a hip-hop dance performance for the Games (Photo: courtesy of Mourad Merzouki)
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This month, the French dancer is bringing a new performance to Hong Kong in which he blends hip-hop dance and classical music
With the Paris Olympics taking place in July, not just sports enthusiasts but hip-hop fans too will have something to look forward to. Breaking, a core category of hip-hop dance, will have its debut as an Olympic sport this year.
To Lyon-born hip-hop dancer and choreographer Mourad Merzouki, this is major news. That’s not only because the 50-year-old has been invited by the Olympics committee to choreograph La Danse des Jeux (“The Dance of the Games”), a dance which was performed at the Games’ flame handover ceremony; it also means hip-hop, which he has loved for 30 years, will officially transcend from the streets and dance stages to a global sporting arena.
In an interview with Tatler, Merzouki says he was first “attracted by the spectacular and [technical] side of hip-hop. It’s a dance that’s constantly renewing itself, that can be practised anywhere and is extremely communicative.” He has been demonstrating this through his dance company Compagnie Käfig, which is one of the first in the world to stage hip-hop dance shows in theatres across France since 1996, at a time when hip-hop mostly took place on the streets.
Now he is bringing his hip-hop performance, titled Symphony of New Worlds, to an upcoming Hong Kong show on May 23 and 24 at the Cultural Centre, presented in collaboration with French May. He pushes creative boundaries in this performance by partnering with players in orchestral music, such as French conductor Zahia Ziouani, Divertimento Orchestra and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Together they blend orchestral music from around the world, including pieces by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon composer Tan Dun, with hip-hop dance.
He tells Tatler about his new composition, the Olympics dance and all things hip-hop.
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Above Zahia Ziouani (Photo: Patrick Fouque)
Zahia Ziouani (Photo: Patrick Fouque)
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What inspired Symphony of New Worlds?
Zahia and I are both artists who travel a lot, and she and I were keen to break down the barriers between our respective disciplines of orchestral music and dance. So it was natural that we should come up with a project inspired by our travels through the music [of those regions], and at the same time music that would appeal to a wider audience.
What message do you wish to convey through this piece?
I want to get out of my comfort zone and create a dialogue that opens up beautiful collaborations to share music and dance to different audiences. The message of this piece is that despite our differences, we can always invent, create and build [together].
Above Merzouki (right) during a rehearsal for a dance show called “Répétitions Pôle en Scènes” (Photo: courtesy of Julie Cherki)
Merzouki (right) during a rehearsal for a dance show called “Répétitions Pôle en Scènes” (Photo: courtesy of Julie Cherki)
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How do you pair urban dance with classical music when you design the choreography?
Music influences movement, so depending on the composition’s passage and flow, the choreography resonates with the music, rhythm and energy. This is already my third collaboration with Zahia and the Divertimento Orchestra, so our artistic collaboration is more [nuanced]. The difficulty lies in finding the right balance without losing ourselves, without losing the essence of the music or the dance form.
Explain the artistic decision behind the show’s music that spans cultures and eras.
I asked Zahia to choose music that was as accessible as possible for an audience that isn’t used to classical music.
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Tell us about the message of La Danse des Jeux, and how the choreography tells that message.
I was asked [by the Olympics committee] to come up with a participatory dance that everyone could learn, especially very young children, a dance that could celebrate the arrival of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. La Danse des Jeux is a gesture of sharing. It shows that dance can bring people together in a festive, unifying and inclusive spirit. It was important to create a sequence of basic movements that everyone could perform.
How do you feel about breaking’s debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
In addition to [breaking debuting in the] competition, the organisers have called on various artists to perform hip-hop dance at important events [such as during the flame handover] to enliven the Olympics. It’s a great recognition for hip-hop dance. It also gives me hope that this dance will continue to develop.
How has urban dance evolved in style, social function and public reception in the world?
Hip-hop dance has evolved in the way it is [choreographed] and in its relationship with music. Today hip-hop can be blended with other disciplines [such as orchestral music]; it’s in the sports arena too. That’s a major development that has enabled it to continue to exist while it evolves for almost 50 years.
Above Rehearsal scenes from “Répétitions Pôle en Scènes” (Photo: courtesy of Julie Cherki)
Above Rehearsal scenes from “Répétitions Pôle en Scènes” (Photo: courtesy of Julie Cherki)
Rehearsal scenes from “Répétitions Pôle en Scènes” (Photo: courtesy of Julie Cherki)
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What is the vision of your dance company, the Compagnie Käfig?
As well as putting on dance shows, Käfig emphasises setting up artistic and cultural projects around the shows. La Danse des Jeux is a good example: it was designed as an educational project for young kids. It’s been a great success, with teachers and students quickly learning the moves. It gives me great pleasure to see all these young people, with smiles on their faces, making La Danse des Jeux their own.
Who is hip-hop dance for today?
Today, hip-hop dance is everywhere. It’s learnt in schools and social centres, and we also find it in theatres, hospitals and in sport competitions. It has become intergenerational. It touches everyone and I’m delighted about that.
What upcoming plans can you share with us?
I’m working on my new creation Beauséjour, a show that brings together 15 dancers on stage to tackle the theme of time. It will open in July, before going on a tour in France.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
