L’homme rare

The Spirit Has No Colour

Nadia Beugré, a socially engaged Ivorian choreographer whose work has been appearing on stages around the world for the past decade, likes to call a spade a spade. She actually has a middle name, Gbahihonon, which means “the woman who says what she sees”—something she does without prompting. This sets the tone for her work.

L’homme rare invites us to experience both the joy and light of dance and the weight and darkness of History, conveying it all with energy, generosity, humour, and power. For the first time, Beugré is directing a quintet of male dancers, who are mostly nude and seen from behind. The piece is a deconstruction of masculinity, but it’s also more than that. Through dance, Beugré takes direct aim at gender-based and post-colonial representations of the body, deploying an approach at once critical and sensual.

Produced by Nadia Beugré

Created and choreographed by Nadia Beugré

Performed by Nadim Bahsoun + Daouda Keita + Lucas Nicot + Adonis Nebié + Tahi Vadel Guei

Lighting Design and Technical Direction Anthony Merlaud

Music Serge Gainsbourg + Lucas Nicot + percussions d’Obilo, RDC

Outside Eye Faustin Linyekula

Lighting Manager Beatriz Kaysel

Production Manager and Touring Virginie Dupray – Libr’Arts with the support of Studios Kabako + Latitudes Contemporaines

Co-produced by Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Bruxelles) + Théâtre de la Ville (Paris) + Festival d’Automne à Paris + Montpellier Danse + CCN2 – Centre Chorégraphique National de Grenoble + Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans + Kunstencentrum Vooruit (Gand) + Musée de la Danse – Centre Chorégraphique National de Rennes et de Bretagne + BIT Teatergarasjen (Bergen) + Théâtre de Nîmes

With the support of L’échangeur CDCN Hauts-de France (Château-Thierry) + DRAC Occitanie – Ministère français de la Culture et de la Communication

Creative residency Agora, cité internationale de la danse (Montpellier) with the support of Fondation BNP Paribas

Presented by Fugues with the support of Institut Français (Paris) + Consulat général de France à Québec in association with Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal

Premiered at Montpellier Danse, on October 23, 2020

North American première

Written by Enora Rivière

Translated by David Dalgleish