As the most personal piece in his repertoire, Le Sacre de Lila brings together a group of dancers from Quebec and Morocco as a tribute to choreographer Ismaël Mouaraki's roots.
Given the complexities of cultural transmission, how can we ensure that dancers truly grasp and embody cultural nuances that are unfamiliar to them? No amount of studio instruction or demonstration could replicate the experience of complete immersion in Morocco, where Mouaraki spent much of his youth. To address this, the Destins Croisés team traveled near Casablanca this summer to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, and scents of Morocco, and to meet the dancers who would join the cast of Le Sacre de Lila.
In Le Sacre de Lila, the male dancers engage in a level of physical intimacy and sensuality that is uncommon in Quebec. The choreographer explains that the Arab world has a different relationship with the body. While Western men tend to be more individualistic and avoid physical contact with other men, it's common in Arab cultures for men to hold hands, kiss on the cheek, and express friendship through touch. In private spaces like hammams, sensuality and sensitivity are accepted as expressions of brotherhood. However, this aspect of Arab culture often remains hidden, contradicting the public image that men are expected to project.
Choreographer
Ismaël Mouaraki
Performers
Alexandre Wilhelm, Danny Morissette, Etienne Leonard Benoit, Gabriel Jobin, Léo Coupal-Lafleur, Rodrigo Alvarenga-Bonilla, Ayoub Hattab, Soufiane Faouzi Mrani, Yassine Khyar, Faissal El Assia
Rehearsal Directors and Artistic Advisors
Annie Gagnon, Geneviève Boulet
Music
Antoine Berthiaume, in collaboration with Katia Makdissi-Warren
Lighting
Rodolphe St-Arneault
Set Design and Costumes
Marilène Bastien
Coproduction
Agora de la danse, Compagnie Okto Echo, Archipel, and the Franco-Quebec Fund for Decentralized Cooperation
Creative Residencies
Agora de la danse supported by La danse sur les routes du Québec, Maison de la culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Théâtre Desjardins de Ville Lasalle supported by La danse sur les routes du Québec, Domaine Maoka (Morocco) in collaboration with Rencontres Chorégraphiques de Casablanca
