#minaret

premiere, 29 September 2018, Teatro Argentina, Romaeuropa Festival

The once existing 'monument' represented the city's soul. A monumental portrayal of the cultural, the social, the historical and the religious, it stood witness to countless generations of gatherings.

With an eclectic range of artists, #minaret proposes a core question of our everyday life. How do we position ourselves, resist ‘numbing’, and face the images of destruction and confiscation of entire cities and the daily violation of human intimacy and privacy?

Duration

60 ‘

Concept & Choreography Omar Rajeh Dancers Antonia Kruschel, Charlie Prince, Mia Habis, Moonsuk Choi, Yamila Khodr, & Omar Rajeh Music Composition Mahmoud Turkmani & Pablo Palacio Live Music by Mahmoud Turkmani (oud), Pablo Palacio (interactive sonifcation), Ziad El-Ahmadie ( oud), Joss Turnbull ( percussions) Real Time Movement Analysis Technology Instituto Stocos Voice Naim Asmar Lighting Guy Hoare Video artist Ygor Gama/ Dafne Narvaez Berlfein Drone operator Hadi Bou Ayash Costumes Mia Habis Technical director Christian Francois Sound engineer Jean-Christophe Batut/ Philippe Balzé

A production of Omar Rajeh | Maqamat Co-produced by HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts Dresden, BIPOD Festival, Romaeuropa Festival With the support of Charleroi Danse Centre chorégraphique de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, apap – advanced performing arts project, Tanzfabrik Berlin and Tanzmesse nrw

The dance floor was kindly supplied by Harlequin Flooring Photos by Stephan Floss , Paolo Porto, Cosimo Trimboli

For nearly 1,000 years the minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo soared above Syria's largest city. It now lies in ruins.

an interview with Omar Rajeh for the premiere of #minaret at Romaeuroppa Festival 2018 and a short video teaser on the right

“Omar Rajeh is the most famous choreographer from the Arab world... "#minaret" in Dresden combines his strengths: powerful movements and a political connection.”

— Deutschlandfunk Kultur - Elisabeth Nehring in conversation with Andrea Gerk
“#minaret by Lebanese choreographer, Omar Rajeh, presented in Athens as part of the Athens Festival, was literally a masterpiece that moved, perplexed and made all who were found in the Pireos Street Building applauding and standing for Maqamat (...)

— Kyriaki Axiotis
The powerful dance of #minaret of the Lebanese Omar Rajeh shakes the audience of Romaeuropa Festival 2018

- Giannarita Martino, Danzaeffebi