The Roots
A FOREWORD FROM THE CHOREOGRAPHER
Over twenty years, my dance approach has been sculpted from the grinding and blending of various aesthetics – hip hop, Indian kathak, contemporary dance. I believe the key in this process is to build bridges, create links and some sort of dialogue beyond / through difference. This search has lead me to try and distinguish what transpires from body as opposed to emotion. How – from a specific technique, a mechanical gesture, a simple hint – with virtuosity such a feeling is born. This questioning is a founding feature of The Roots.
First and foremost, The Roots is a human adventure, a journey enacted by eleven exceptional hip-hop dancers. Chapter after chapter, the actual performance transforms, opens up new horizons and brings the spectator elsewhere. This universe consists of ordinary settings, a table.. a crackling vinyl record on a turntable, childhood memories.. Music plays a crucial part, stirring and calling for the unity of dancers. Brahms, Glazounov, electro music... all these melodies open doors to a dancing mankind.
This creation digs into one’s history, each dancer with their strengths and their own path. Starting from their unique style honed over the years, I initiate a journey from the roots towards bodies’ memory. The Roots represent the rewards of this quest: drawing from the generosity of this dance in order to discover new paths.
Kader Attou