From our Artistic Director: Fabulous French hip-hop dance comes to Bell Square

We’ve got a really great French dance company, Cie Dyptik, coming to Bell Square on Saturday, 30 June.  They're quite new to touring in the UK and this will be one of the first chances to see them here, so I’d like to introduce them!

Cie Dyptik

Cie Dyptik was set up in 2012 by two choreographers, Mehdi Meghari and Souhail Marchiche.  The company is based in Saint-Etienne, towards the south of France near Lyon. 

They use hip-hop dance and create shows about what it means to be human.  They look at identity with depth and authenticity.  They also look at the relationships between us all and how they're influenced by history.  They immerse themselves in the disorders of the world and challenge themselves not to ignore them.  They search for what is most powerful in each and every one of us.

The company has created five shows in its first six years but, in the spirit of hip-hop, is also actively engaged in sharing its practice through public workshops, residencies to share ideas with other artists, and an annual festival in Saint-Etienne.

D-Construction

D-Construction is the show coming to Bell Square. It was created in 2015 and is the first of a series of 3 shows tackling the topic of ‘revolt’.

D-Construction is a high-energy hip-hop dance performance with a powerful beat, set on and around a large, chain-link fence.  The show is about identity, borders, and the bonds that connect us with each other. And about how difficult it is to break free when you don’t feel connected to your community, when you no longer feel part of something but feel locked in a cage.

The fence seems insurmountable, so how do you break free?  The dancers struggle to liberate themselves, questioning what unites us and what separates us, what brings us together.  When merging into a group, they create a stronger identity.  And when breaking apart, they show their individual uniqueness.

The audience sits up close to the performance so you feel very much part of it, living the experience of connection and revolt.

Come and see what it's all about on Saturday 30 June 2018.  There's a daytime performance at 3pm, and a night-time performance at 9.30pm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

To keep up with upcoming events, visit our What’s On pages here.

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