Dance is not for us

premiere, 8 June 2023, Théâtre Monnot

A new solo creation choreographed and performed by Omar Rajeh, where he takes us into his dance and autobiographical universe, looking into the ‘performance’ as a gathering and a shared experience. The dancing body creates its own rules, its own structure, and its own inspirations, as an act of hope, in opposition to structures of power that diminish such dynamics towards normality and fear.

Omar Rajeh travels back into the past. Alone onstage, he dances and speaks of an intimate past that exists no more, of a fading image, and a deceiving one as well. A past that did not transfer into a future. The images, the meanings, the feelings, the people, the happy moments, everything froze. As if today he deals with a World with no past.

Duration

60’

Concept and choreography Omar Rajeh Assistant choreographer Mia Habis Dramaturgy Peggy Olislaegers Music composition Joss Turnbull, Charbel Haber Light Design & Technical director Christian François Coordination & Diffusion Amina Onsy Administrator Ilitza Georgieva

A production of Cie Omar Rajeh & Maqamat Special thanks CN D à Lyon, Sima Performing Arts, Al-Serkal Avenue, Amadeus école de danse et de musique With the support of the DRAC - Auvergne Rhône-Alpes

It might have been weird on many levels that I chose dance in a country that was coming out of civil war, destruction, death, and loss. However, dance at the time seemed to be the most revolutionary, the most provocative, and the most confrontational.

__ Omar Rajeh

Omar Rajeh fragments the "body" of Beirut

-Khalil el-Haj Ali, Al-Akhbar newspaper
“Omar Rajeh narrates, with his physical creativity, an existential crisis

— Fidel Sbeiti, Independent
As usual, one cannot leave Omar Rajeh’s performance and remain the same person.

— Aline Mourani
Omar Rajeh sees choreography everywhere, in all aspects of life.

- Pierre Abi Saab
La danse n’est pas pour nous, mais ce soir-là Omar Rajeh était entièrement à nous, nous, son public

- Danny Mallat, L’orient le jour