As I enter the second artistic residency as Samir M’Kirech’ assistant in Underneath our feet, I would like to reflect on its beginnings. Before taking you with me to Alexandria, let me share with you some memories from the first stages of the project, in Cairo last year.
I remember rooting for our dancers Shaimaa, Nadine, Tasneem and Lojain in their audition for Contemporary Dance Nights in Cairo in October last year. The final decision would be up to Samir, though from the very beginning of our collaboration he has always taken my advice and opinions seriously. In this audition, I allowed him to watch in an unbiased way the dancers that I met a few months before in my first trip to Egypt. I sat impatiently on my hands and did my best not to influence him with my raging enthusiasm about specifically the Alexandrian dance scene.
I had the privilege of teaching a workshop to a wonderful group of Alexandrian dancers some months before, in the framework of the EUNIC residency for international choreographers. This workshop was the first gathering of the group in its entirety ever since their home base, the city’s only independent contemporary dance center called Rézodanse, was closed months ago. The air in the theater vibrated with the excitement of the reunion and, most of all, a hunger for dance that was almost tangible. With no fixed training center, these dancers found their own ways to stay in shape in their bedrooms, parks and street corners, using Youtube and their own imagination to keep deepening their practice. Bringing back together all these artistic voices drenched the room in an infinite curiosity that made teaching easier than ever. Any exercise, concept or suggestion that I proposed was devoured like a first meal after days of fasting, each technical element observed from all possible angles in order to maximally absorb the information.
It helps that Alexandrians tend to speak about their city like it’s the best one in the world. And they do so quite convincingly. So, quickly, I was hooked on this city and its artists. And when I saw them taking the opportunity to represent themselves in the capital, I couldn’t help but root for them in the auditions even amongst all those inspiring, remarkable Cairo dancers. I was happy the final decision was not up to me, because I would have loved to work with all of them. Yet, my heart did a little happy dance when Samir set his mind to these four Alexandrian talents; and when we managed to ‘win them over’ from the other international choreographers scouting for talent!
In the weeks that followed, the four young women we selected came to represent much more than their hometown. They openly talked to us about their struggles and achievements to make it as a dancer in a society that does not acknowledge dance as a career (and even less so for women). Their double lives – for some of them literally – between pursuing their dreams and keeping their families satisfied, proving themselves artistically and academically, finding loopholes and tricks, fighting themselves back into the studio each time… Samir and I didn’t have to look any further. These young women’s everyday lives were the ultimate symbol of resilience that we were searching for – there was no need to artificially craft any storylines. We had all ingredients we needed right in front of us.
And so Samir choreographed and directed his first pilot performance around the stories that our dancers so vulnerably shared with us in the studio and the many hours spent at night in the ahua (coffee). When they finally stepped on stage in December last year, they transmitted their vulnerability and strength in text, movement, spirit and group solidarity. In the final scene, for three minutes the girls just stand and look into the audience. When we look at their naturally expressive faces in this moment, we get touched not only by their individual personalities. These women become ambassadors, representing the resilience of not just themselves, but the myriad women around them.
It is with this objective that we enter a new phase in the artistic process: a second residency focused on incorporating a wider diversity of female stories into the performance. In the weeks leading up to our travel to Alexandria, Samir and I interviewed various women online. We asked them about their definitions of resilience, their most resilient moments, their persistence and achievements, the obstacles they faced, and their hopes and dreams for the new generation. This weekend, we will host an open level workshop “Introduction to dance theater” for women in Alexandria. I am convinced this workshop will lead again to inspiring, surprising, stereotype-breaking and insightful encounters to take on board in the next stages of our creation.