Five characters, individuals, elementary particles of a whole too hard to be seen. They are brought together by means of an event: our funerals? Brought in communion with each other but still apart. Each one, here, is the other's mirror, what is missing in them and their own fever. Each one is distorted by his fellow person but without being affected, still echoing haphazardly what is common to a fragmented chorus but without paying any attention to it. The meetings are ephemeral, the hugs worrisome and magical. The fragile bond between these characters is revealed by a gesture or a hand, giving a hint of a desired companionship. Beings in quest of solace but solace which remains a fraudulence and an ephemeral meeting. As a result, the we becomes the ruined sum of Is who are longing for harmony without ever achieving it. They commit themselves to rituals and to the vertigo of rites: rounds, trances and impossible forgiveness. These are fragmented itineraries, wandering in quest of a whole, in quest of tenderness, against loneliness. Through the fragments of the we and within the isolated gesture of each body, the link between beings is constantly questioned. What constructs, makes up and disrupts our society? Common destinies, fragmented itineraries. In “ What We Are”, the common run of people shun and avoid coming to terms with themselves. They happen haphazardly and then they disappear.

Source : www.lacompagniedesoi.com

Trained at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Art of Tunis, he is recognized as “The young hopeful of the Tunisian theatre” in 1996 by the Tunisian Section of the International Theatre Institute. He is, then, recruited as an actor within the training and research workshop of the National Theatre of Toulouse under the direction of Jacques Rosner.

In Tunisia, he works with Fadhel Jaibi, Taoufik Jebali and Mohamed Driss, highly influential artists in the Arab world. In France, he works with the directors Jacques Rosner, Lotfi Achour and Catherine Boskowitz. As a movie actor, he appeared in two films by Férid Boughdir, « Un Eté à la Goulette » (A Summer at La Goulette) and « Halfaouine, l’Enfant des Terrasses » (Halfaouine, The child of Terrace Roofs). Being quite fond of dancing, he is equally nurtured by classes directed by Lisa Nelson and Jean Laurent Sasportès in Europe. Because he felt the need for an artistic experience other than the theatre, he signed for his first creation in 2005, a solo dance entitled « Pour en finir avec MOI » (To finish with MY SELF), as an intimate introspection and a vital experience.

In 2008 and 2009, Radhouane El Meddeb participated to « Corps produit, corps productif » (Produced body, producing body), held by the International Choreography Festival of Seine-Saint-Denis and to Mon corps, mon lieu / My body, my place, supported by the Fondation Culture et Diversité. These workshops attempt to raise awareness of contemporary dancing and to transmit choreographic composition to a large audience, bringing together young people coming from Zones d’ Education Prioritaire (Areas of Priority Education), women members of neighborhood associations and also elderly people.

In 2010, he created his first group show, at the CND, "Ce que nous sommes" (What we are), with five dancers, which has been on tour in France for two years.

In July 2012, at the Montpellier Danse Festival, he created and danced the solo dance "Sous leurs pieds, le paradis" (Under their feets, the heaven), whose choreographic composition is shared with Thomas Lebrun. In 2012, he is invited by Matias Pilet and Alexandre Fournier to choreograph the nouveau cirque duo "Nos limites" (Our limits), created in 2013 at the CENTQUATRE-PARIS.

In 2014, he created a new group show "Au temps où les Arabes dansaient" (In the days when the Arabs were dancing), a performance for 4 dancers, within the International Festival CDC Toulouse and région Midi-Pyrénées and at the CENTQUATRE-PARIS.

In 2015, with the support of the National Monuments Centre and in the frame of the first edition of the event Monuments en Mouvements / Monuments in Movements, Radhouane El Meddeb presented the premiere of Heroes, prelude, performance for 10 urban dancers, at Pantheon in Paris, which hosted contemporary dance for the first time. In June 2015, he’s invited by the College of Dance Biennale in Venice, he choreographed « Nous sommes tous étrangers » (We are all Foreigners) at Campo San Trovaso, with Italian interpreters.

In 2016, Radhouane El Meddeb continues the work with interpreters of « Heroes prelude ». The premiere of this new creation called « Heroes » is presented at the Festival of Marseille -Dance and Arts Multiples 2016. He also creates the solo « A mon père, une dernière danse et un premier baiser » (To my father, one last dance and a first kiss) that is presented at Montpellier Danse 2016.

Source : Compagnie de Soi 's website

More information

lacompagniedesoi.com

Born in 1973, he lives and works in Pantin.

Visual artist, Mathieu Bouvier is a plastician, a videast, a photographer, a scenograph and an independant researcher.. Diplomed from the Saint Etienne art school and the Lyon art school, from the Le Fresnoy studio and the Tourocing SNAC. Some of his works have been shown in public art centers ans others in private space for an individual audience. As a videast, scenographist and dramatist he is close from contemporary danse. He is leading practical theoretical researches through workshops conducted with choreographers on the notion of « figures » or how to convert signs between body, image and language.

Source: Mathieu Bouvier 's website

More information : mathieu.mathieu.free.fr