Odyssey by Hervé Koubi, music by Natasha Atlas and Samy Bishaï
Cast
Hervé Koubi — Stage director
Guillaume Gabriel — Set designer, costume designer
Lionel Buzonie — Lighting designer
Compagnie Hervé Koubi — Ballet
Natacha Atlas — Composer, vocalist, singer
Samy Bishaï — Composer, violinist
Program notes
Following previous all-male works such as Ce que le jour doit à la nuit ("What the Day Owes to the Night") and Les nuits barbares ou les premiers matins du monde ("Barbarian Nights or the First Mornings of the World"), dancer and choreographer Hervé Koubi brings together fourteen dancers for a piece that celebrates femininity. Guided by the crystal-clear, mystical voice of Belgian singer Natacha Atlas, hip-hop and contemporary dance come together on stage to create a series of spellbinding scenes. The choreography, punctuated by traditional Arabic percussions, gives rise to a new interpretation of the myth of Ulysses: far from glorifying the conqueror's victory, it is rather the female heroine, awaiting the return of her beloved, who is celebrated. A symbol of patience and renewal, she represents a land of welcome, love, and reconciliation. In this ballet, the crossing of the sea becomes a metaphor for a difficult but necessary journey of initiation, which allows human beings to evolve towards an ideal of peace.