DANCE IN ANCIENT MESSENE

This new creation directly follows the line of Filipe Lourenço’s ongoing artistic research, begun in 2018 with his solo Pulse(s) and developed further through his ensemble pieces Gouâl and CHEB. His artistic approach draws deeply on his own identity as a dancer—first shaped by a solid background as an Arab-Andalusian musician and by training in traditional dances of the Maghreb, then enriched by a career in contemporary dance (working with Catherine Diverrès, Olivier Dubois, Georges Appaix, Christian Rizzo, Michèle Noiret, Boris Charmatz, among others).

This unique trajectory defines the specificity of his creative process, which he now continues with the creation of a new piece for five performers.
After exploring a warrior dance known as Alaoui from the Rif region in his 2021 creation GOUÂL, this time Filipe Lourenço draws his inspiration from research into another traditional form: Ahidous, a collective Berber dance from Central Morocco (the Middle Atlas). This dance—one of the most valued forms of collective bodily and poetic expression among Middle Atlas communities—has often accompanied festive occasions until quite recently.

The challenge here is not to reverse gender divisions but to deconstruct them—to lift the prohibitions that have traditionally shaped the female gaze or excluded women from the transmission of these practices. As always, Filipe Lourenço’s choreographic writing seeks the total physical and emotional engagement of the body, embracing a critical dimension driven by a strong desire to bring ancestral traditions into dialogue with contemporary forms.

The Odeon of Messene, also known as the Ecclesiasterion, functioned in antiquity as a multi-purpose space primarily dedicated to the community, hosting theatrical and musical events as well as public assemblies of a political nature. Within this historical framework, the Festival’s artistic curation brings forward once again the collective character of the site and the importance of communal gathering.

Following the completion of the first part, the performance’s musician for Amazigh in Situ, Amine Nouri, continues to play, organically extending the connection between audience and action and deepening the relationship with the archaeological site of Ancient Messene. The transition into the second part unfolds as a natural continuation of the performance, inviting the audience to dance and participate actively.

The project will subsequently tour to contemporary public spaces, acquiring new dimensions through its interaction with each location and its respective audience.