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POUSSIÈRES DE SANG

SEYDOU BORO + SALIA SANOU

The silence is broken by a woman’s low-pitched voice. Her song speaks of an Africa mired in violence, and her anger mounts. Surrounding her are seven male and female dancers, plunged headlong into the fire of combat.

Details

The sounds of the ngoni, the balafon, the saxophone and the djembé stoke the flames of their revolt and their struggle against annihilation. Their arms whip the air, rhythm shoots through their bodies in pulsating waves. Varying from frenzy to languid, the athletic, brutal movement seeks a path toward liberation, and hope takes shape behind the heavy cloud of Poussières de sang. Inspired by two days of armed conflict in Ouagadougou, the piece bursts forth like a red and white flag denouncing violence in a call for peace. Created by the Burkina Faso dancers and choreographers Salia Sanou and Seydou Boro, it is a testimony to the unique theatrical vocabulary behind the duo’s international success over the past 15 years. This savage, powerful work is a raw gem glittering in the revival of African dance.

Credits

PRODUCED BY COMPAGNIE SALIA NÏ SEYDOU

CHOREOGRAPHY: SEYDOU BORO + SALIA SANOU
MUSIC COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY OUMAROU BAMBARA + ADAMA DEMBÉLÉ + DJATA MELISSA ILEBOU + MAMADOU KONÉ + PIERRE VAIANA
DANCERS: SEYDOU BORO + ADJARATOU OUÉDRAOGO + OUSSENI SAKO + SALIA SANOU + BÉNÉDICTH SENE + BOUKARY SÉRÉ + ASHA THOMAS
LIGHTING DESIGN: ERIC WURTZ
COSTUME DESIGN: MARTINE SOMÉ
SET DESIGN: KY SIRIKI

COPRODUCTION LA PASSERELLE – SCÈNE NATIONALE DE SAINT-BRIEUC + FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL MONTPELLIER DANSE (CRÉATION 2008) + LE VOLCAN – SCÈNE NATIONALE – MAISON DE LA CULTURE DU HAVRE+ THÉÂTRE DE LA VILLE (PARIS) + THÉÂTRE DE LA BASTILLE / THÉÂTRE DE L’AGORA + SCÈNE NATIONALE D’EVRY ET DE L’ESSONNE DANS LE CADRE DES RÉSIDENCES DE CRÉATION SOUTENUES PAR LA RÉGION ÎLE-DE-FRANCE + CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA DANSE (PANTIN) + CULTURESFRANCE + CENTRE CULTUREL FRANÇAIS DE OUAGADOUGOU + CENTRE DE DÉVELOPPEMENT CHORÉGRAPHIQUE – LA TERMITIÈRE DE OUAGADOUGOU
WITH THE SUPPORT OF MINISTÈRE DE LA CULTURE ET DE LA COMMUNICATION – DRAC DE BRETAGNE + CONSEIL GÉNÉRAL DES CÔTES D’ARMOR
PRESENTED BY FESTIVAL TRANSAMÉRIQUES
IN ASSOCIATION WITH USINE C

REDACTION: FABIENNE CABADO
TRADUCTION: NEIL KROETSCH

 

SEYDOU BORO + SALIA SANOU (OUAGADOUGOU)
COMPAGNIE SALIA NÏ SEYDOU

Salia Sanou and Seydou Boro created their first piece together in 1994, Le siècle des fous, which was awarded first prize at the international competition Concours de danse contemporaine Afrique en création.

Full biography