A few words about your artistic journey

From urban dances between 1998-2005, I participated in multiple formations with many recognized choreographers such as : Laurence Levasseur, Germaine Acogny, Angelin Preljocaj, Irène Tassembedo, Salia-ni-Seydou and many others. First promotion of professional dancer-interpreter after three years of intensive training at EDIT from 2009-2012.

How long have you been an artist ?

For 15 years ; from 1998, I fell in love with dance but I professionalize myself through various training since 2005.

Why did you apply for this scholarship ? How will the scholarship support you ?

It’s a challenge, just like when I participate in many auditions ; and the distribution network that Africalia can offer to my work.
Given the current situation regarding my canceled dates in Europe, I have to stay active and continue to work.

What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency ?

My goal is that the choreography that I will propose will be a complete creation, intended only for this project, on a musical style rarely used in contemporary choreographic creations.

What did you achieve during this creative residency ? What is the result (created work) ? Who was involved in the creation process ?

This residency grant is an indispensable tool to strengthen the artist’s capacity in his creativity and perspectives for dialogue with the world through his art. My objective was to create a choreographic work dedicated to CREATIVITY IS LIFE despite the technical constraints related to COVID-19.
This residency resulted in a complete creation intended only for this project, on a musical style rarely exploited in contemporary choreographic creations. It is presented in the form of a video capsule of approximately 4 Mn. It shows me dancing in the daylight to bring the idea of shadow play with the Ouagadougou dam in the background.
I hired a team of RASCA-PROD video/photo for the identification of the location as well as the aesthetic and technical aspect of the work during my residency and the realization of the final work. I also hosted local professional dancers to provide me with a critical artistic perspective to bring my performance closer to perfection.

How do you think these activities contribute to a reflection on today’s world, in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and/or on the shaping of the future ?

Given the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic in my country and everywhere else, the arts as a whole and cross-cultural connections are for me the best means to invite everyone who has lived through this pandemic period to have a real awareness of who we are, what role we have to play in life and how we can together imagine rebuilding a new and better healthy life for ourselves and for future generations.
To this end, I can only rely on my art to address the issue. It is not through shadow play that I am trying to touch the sensitivity of the human being. It is through gestures sometimes poetic, sometimes angry, that I invite this awareness. Moreover, Dance gives freedom to everyone’s imagination as to the interpretation that one can make of a performance.

How did you feel during the residency ? And at the end of it ?

I experienced this creative residency as a relief of mind, as if through my art I was bringing a remedy to humanity against COVID-19.
When I left the residency, on the filming location of the final work, on the banks of the Tanghin Dam in Ouagadougou, passers-by, the inhabitants of the surrounding area, witnessed the achievement. Beautiful reactions on the faces and the joy manifested on the spot convinced me that this residence is a success but also a necessity to be done. I can only be optimistic and proud to have accomplished a mission like this, thanks to this CREATIVITY IS LIFE grant from Africalia.