Choreographed and performed with sound and lighting designed by Belaza herself, “L’Envol” — meaning “flight” in French — premiered at the Montpellier Dance Festival in June 2022. What inspired Belaza was a single photograph known as “The falling man”, taken in New York on September 11, 2001. Instead of instilling fear, the striking image of a man falling from a high-rise building brought a sense of calmness and liberation to Belaza, who had been exploring the concept of a falling body in her choreography. This performance comprised of four dancers begins in darkness, transitioning from a stillness reminiscent of a ritual to a trance-like intensity, captivating the audience. When consciousness and unconsciousness clash, what does a dancing body convey?
Nacera Belaza “L’Envol”
- 12.16 [Sat] 16:00
- 12.17 [Sun] 16:00
Latecomers will not be admitted to the auditorium after the show begins.
We kindly ask audience to arrive at the hall well ahead of time.
“L’Envol”
- Choreography, Sound and Lighting design： Nacera Belaza
- Performance： Nacera Belaza, Dalila Belaza, Paulin Banc, Mohammed Ech Charquaouy
- Stage Management： Christophe Renaud
- Production： Compagnie Nacera Belaza
- Coproduction： Festival Montpellier Danse; MC93 – Maison de la Culture de Seine-Saint-Denis; Le Festival d’Automne à Paris; deSingel, Campus International des Arts; Points communs, nouvelle scène nationale de Cergy / Val d’Oise; Theater Freiburg
- In the framework of Accueil studio： CCN – Ballet de Lorraine; CCN2 Grenoble; CNDC – Angers
- Support： Fonds Transfabrik – Franco-German fund for the performing arts; King’s Fountain; Villa Albertine; Région Ile-de-France, as part of the creation support program; Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication DRAC – Ile-de-France
- Support for Performance in Yokohama： Institut Français
© Isabelle Lévy Lehmann
Nacera Belaza
Born in Médéa, Algeria, Belaza immigrated to France at the age of 5. After studying literature at university, she embarked on a self-taught exploration of dance. In 1989, she founded her own company and developed a unique choreographic style that infuses minimal movements, such as spirals, with a sense of spirituality reminiscent of rituals, focused on the inner journey of choreography. As a dancer and choreographer, she has received high acclaim both nationally and internationally. In 2015, she was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. She has toured across Europe, America, Africa, and Asia, leaving a strong impression in Japan with performances such as “Le Temps scellé” and “Le Trait” in 2012, as well as “Les Oiseaux” and “La Traversée” in 2014.