Nomad

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui reconstructs a mosaic drawn from animate and inanimate elements of the desert. The dancers offer a glimpse into the fluidity of the flora and fauna that prosper in the harshest conditions; the beautiful transience of sand dunes and winds; the lights; the intense physical or emotional thirst; and above all, the spirit of togetherness, key to survival in an arid world which would be insurmountable alone.

Choreographer and traveler par excellence, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui never ceases to portray the movements of the world with his performers: previously based in Antwerp, he is now in Geneva. Nomad is one of his most acclaimed recent projects. His aim is to reconstitute “a mosaic drawn from animate and inanimate elements of the desert.” The fluid and technical dance thus adapts to the conditions, be they wind, drought, or sand. An image of a desert is seen in the background of the stage, “a metaphor for ultimate freedom, but also for the impossibility of survival.” Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s imagination gave birth to a series of tableaux based on Felix Buston’s score, in the spirit of “warmth, friendship and symbiosis.” The dance, more than anything else, has much to say about living and fighting together. In a fragile world, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui showcases the beauty of art in motion. Nomad bears this hope. 

Text: © Philippe Noisette

Photo: © Filip Van Roe