Some come from Germany, others from Ireland, France, Portugal and Slovenia. They have in common that they are Palestinians… and dancers. All from the lands of Palestine that they love so much, whether on the West Bank or on the Israeli side, they meet at the slightest opportunity to keep their little company, Stéréo48, going.
Stereo, as a nod to the first New York break dancers who were walking around, a huge radio on their shoulder and the music playing loudly; 48 in memory of the invasion of part of Palestine by Israel.
Originally, Hamza, Abdallah Damra and Amir Sabra were part of a group of breakdancers who practiced in Nablus. Nothing professional in this adventure, but a shared passion for this dance rarely used in Arab countries. Until the Belgian company C de la B looked for new dancers for its hit show, Badke, and hired them. From then on, for a year and a half, the three Palestinians traveled the world. When they return to Nablus, it’s the blues.
Abdallah Damra has only one desire: to continue the experience. Especially since during the tour, he had the good idea of asking one of the leaders of the Belgian company to train him in both choreography and management of a troupe. The long-awaited providential help will come from the director of the French Institute of Nablus, Stéphane Aucante.
This offers them the opportunity to work, train and rehearse in a room at the Institute, and even offers them their daily lunch and an initial grant of €200! Stéphane Aucante understood the difficulty of being dancers for these young people, most of whom came from Palestinian refugee camps. “It was really hard,” Abdallah admits today.
Their talent and seriousness led to the continuation: they participated in the Pokémon Crew adventure, then they received a commission from the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, as part of the “Danse Expandée” festival, a series of short formats which allows you to discover young choreographers in the making. The shows, always refreshing, highlight how dance can be diverse, and infinitely quick to create new forms.
Stéréo 48, in a choreography by Amir Sabra, opens the ball in the very heart of Montmartre: the troupe leads the public to follow the steep slope of the rue de Ravignan, then invites them to follow it in the Théâtre des Abbesses which is managed the City Theater. The company’s driving force is irresistible: the dancing is powerful, with the nostalgic Palestinian tunes used for weddings playing in the background. A mixture of improvisation and more regulated interludes, this street sequence goes far beyond the entertainment and performance of hip-hop, to delicately question the essence of human relationships. For this they had the support of sponsorship from the Caisse des Dépôts, from the Ile de France Region, after a residency at Espace Germinal-Fosse.
After this outdoor opening, once the spectators are seated in their seats, the show continues – six small pieces to discover at all costs.
Lyon Dance Biennale from September 24 to October 1