Chanel Cheiban + Mara Dupas
Double Bill
El kamar bi zaher
El kamar bi zaher means “The Blooming Moon,” a metaphor for the artist’s inner and sacred universe, from seed to bloom. Choreographer and performer Chanel Cheiban invites the audience into her family living room to witness the birth of a dance that is unique to her, defining movement that navigates from oriental traditions to the world in which she lives today. Accompanied by three musicians (percussions, oud and vocals) playing melodies that have captured Arab people’s hearts, she becomes one with her ancestors and all those around her, letting dance consume and entrance her. An antidote to our feeling of powerlessness in the face of the state of the world, art appears as a manifesto for life.
Olympia 2.0
Olympia 2.0 draws its name from the Black maid in Manet’s famous painting Olympia. Facing away from the audience and partially nude, the dancer lets her back and hair do all the talking. Mara Dupas defies the audience’s expectations, choosing what to show and what to conceal. Using fluid, undulating movements, the artist explores her relationship with her body, which bears witness to the clash between dominant Western beauty standards and her own African descent. The intimate setting allows her to (re)discover herself, learn acceptance, and speak out.