CTL Questions for the Artist
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What does fall in New York City evoke for you?
Crossing the line bien entendu, mais aussi le jour où je suis resté coincé à l'aéroport JFK à cause d'une tempête de neige…Plus généralement, New York me rappelle cette période des années 1990 où j'ai habité dans la ville, en étant déjà danseur professionnel mais avec l'idée de venir parfaire ma formation ici. C'était donc les études au Movement Research, au studio de Trisha Brown, de Susan Klein, et la Judson Church bien sûr. C'était aussi quelques galeries et clubs fameux comme le BCBG. Crossing the line, of course, but also the day I was stuck at JFK because of a snow storm… in general, New York reminds me of that time in the 90s when I lived here, was already a professional dancer but had the idea to come to NY to perfect my training. So New York always makes me think of studies at Movement Research, Trisha Brown's studios, Susan Klein, and of course Judson Church. It is also a couple of galleries and famous clubs like BCBG.
What do you think is the biggest fiction?
Mon addiction au travail… mais j'essaie aussi de lutter chaque jour contre l'uniformisation de la culture. My addiction to work.. but I also try to struggle every day against the cultural trend towards uniformity.
What do you have to resist most often?
La discussion et le partage avec mes amis. Apprécier des oeuvres… Shared discussion and discourse with my friends. Appreciating works of art...
What inspires you?
Les gens, principalement ! Mes pièces partent souvent d'un territoire ou d'une communauté de personnes très ciblée : les lutteurs et catcheurs de la ville de Reims, les danseurs de l'Opéra de Lyon exilés de leur pays, des victimes d'actes de torture. Ce sont les rencontres avec des histoires singulières qui m'inspirent. People, primarily! My pieces often come from a territory or a targeted community of people: the wrestlers of the village of Reims, the dancers of the Opera of Lyon who are exiled from their country, and victims of torture. Encounters with unusual stories inspire me.
In a word, what does Crossing the Line mean to you?
La fraîcheur. Freshness. |
Prior to founding the company L'A. in 2007—a site for artistic exploration of contemporary identity—choreographer Rachid Ouramdane collaborated with artists including Emmanuelle Huynh, Odile Duboc, Hervé Robbe, Meg Stuart, Catherine Contour, Christian Rizzo, Jeremy Nelson, Alain Buffard, and choreographer Julie Nioche, with whom he co-founded the company Fin Novembre in 1996. Very quickly, Rachid Ouramdane's shows integrated video as a springboard for thinking about body-memory. The key element of each show is a unique encounter, resulting in an original artistic approach. Founding L'A. in 2007 was a turning point for his work, which now aims to blur the boundaries between dance and documentary. Ouramdane has been associated with the Théâtre de la Ville (Paris) since 2010, and with Bonlieu, Scène nationale d'Annecy since 2005.
French-born of Algerian descent, Rachid Ouramdane is at the forefront of Europe's new generation of conceptual dance-thinkers and performers who are bringing vital new ideas to the stage. His work aims to blur the boundaries between dance and documentary through probing performances that grapple with the construction of contemporary identities enmeshed with the modernization of our societies.
www.rachidouramdane.com |
