Performing arts

Tarab FR

Cie Shonen

Dance without bordersExhilarating immersionRevolution in motionSwiss premiere

2 performances

26-28.02

26.02 - 21:30 |

28.02 - 15:00 |

Genève

Comédie de Genève

Tickets

CHF 10 to CHF 40

CHF 12 with the festival pass

Buy a ticket

Orchestrated by Eric Minh Cuong Castaing, this celebration, performed by eight dancers from Egypt, Palestine, and Lebanon, together with Lebanese-Palestinian musician Rayess Bek, turns “dancing together” into a pacifist political manifesto.

Powerful antidotes to the brutality unfolding around us, traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern dances such as Dabkeh and Taa’kib become journeys through collective memory, forging bonds among those who still believe in our shared humanity. Tonight, the dancefloor belongs to everyone, transformed into a festive space to be claimed and shared. The raw emotion stirred by the melodies and rhythms of taarab spreads freely, building towards a kind of secular trance. In keeping with the principle of choreographic mimicry, workshops are offered to dance enthusiasts to learn the movements they will later pass on to the audience during the performances.

In collaboration with Comédie de Genève

A graduate of the Gobelins School in Paris, Eric Minh Cuong Castaing began his career as a graphic designer in animated film. His interest in the relationship between body and image later led him to dance. In 1997, he discovered hip-hop, followed by Japanese butoh, and eventually contemporary dance. As a choreographer, he founded Cie Sh?nen in 2007, creating around fifteen works—performances, installations, live pieces, and films—exploring the dialogue between dance and new technologies. He is an associate artist of the Montpellier Danse festival (2024–2026), of the Centre National de Création Adaptée (CNCA) from 2025, and of Bourges European Capital of Culture 2028.

Choreography in collaboration with the dancers performers

Nadim Bahsoun, Rima Baransi, Marah Haj, Aly Khamees, Ashtar Muallem, Nancy Naser Al Deen, Mohand Qader, Mohanad Smama. With the participation of dancers from French-speaking Switzerland.

Cast

Festival de Marseille (2025), Festival DreamCity, Tunis (2025), Charleroi Danse (2025), Genève (2026)

Music creation and live-act performance

Rayess Bek

Dramaturgy assistance

Marine Relinger

Choreographic vision and vocal work

Aloun Marchal

Lighting design

Sébastien Lefèvre

Dramaturgical overseeing

Marine Relinger