Libya

The 'Libya' in the title does not refer to the current nation, but to the name the ancient Egyptians and Greeks gave to North Africa. The culture of the Imazighen, who live in this area, is passed on from generation to generation through stories, dance and song. Although this oral and matriarchal culture greatly influenced the prosperity of art and science in the Mediterranean and Europe, it was never recorded by historians.

Moroccan-Brussels choreographer Radouan Mriziga celebrates this vibrant culture and proposes a new way of writing its history: through an open stage on which the connections between people and traditions become visible during a collective journey of discovery. Using their bodies as bearers of tradition, eight dancers bring the chants, rhythms, dance and music of their North African roots to life, in the here and now.

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In Libya, the sounds of tarab, ahwach and touareg music are seamlessly blended with rap, spoken word, dance and theatre. This results in a continuous flow of transferred knowledge, experiences and movement. The focus is on the resilience of the Imazighen, who have coped with centuries of war and colonial oppression.

The performers, of different ages and body types, move gracefully and powerfully. Their movement material is based on North African dances they remember from their parents' and grandparents' villages. In addition, Mriziga drew inspiration for his choreography from animal figures in cave paintings and carvings from the region.