Club Guy & Roni (NL) / Khalid Benghrib (MR) / HIIIT
Faith
Club Guy & Roni has had it with doom-mongering and cynicism; what the world needs is hope and trust in the future. In a unique combination of explosive dance, Moroccan Gnawa trance and data-driven electronics, nine dancers and five musicians explore the spiritual spaces between tradition and progress.
Julidans On Stage / Julidans NL
World premiere
Location Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
Venue Grote Zaal
Run time 60 minutes
Language Language no problem
FAITH is a transformative journey into a spiritual world from which we in the West have perhaps drifted too far away. The performance brings together dancers from Club Guy & Roni and Moroccan dance company Cie 2k_Far with five musicians from the HIIIT ensemble (previously Slagwerk Den Haag), among others, from the Netherlands and Morocco. Together, they explore a common ground – a both fragile and dynamic 'in-between space' – that is essential for a shared belief in the future.
FAITH refers not only to religious belief, but also to the trust you have in another person. The inspiration for this performance comes from Guy Weizman's Moroccan roots, which he shares with Khalid Benghrib, the frontman of Cie 2k_Far. Weizman feels an artistic kinship with Benghrib in their efforts to use dance as a form of total theatre.
The centuries-old Moroccan Gnawa musical tradition serves as a catalyst for their artistic collaboration. Gnawa, with its guembri (three-stringed bass lute), qraqebs (metal castanets) and intoxicating repetitive chants, is known as the 'desert blues'. It evokes a trance experience during lila healing rituals, where djinns (spirits) are summoned to face the darker aspects of life.
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Young composer Max Frimout (1999) challenges the Gnawa with electronic music using modular synthesisers and data-driven computer programmes. The space between the two musical extremes is explored by choreographer Roni Haver with a splashing physicality.
FAITH is the latest work within The Human Odyssey series, following previous successful productions such as Fortune and Islands of Empathy. In this series, Club Guy & Roni brings together different cultures and worldviews and makes them collide, aiming to unveil underlying human connections. The company has a loyal fan base thanks to its use of exciting live music and spectacular choreography.
About Guy Weizman and Roni Haver
Guy Weizman (Tel Aviv) and Roni Haver (Jerusalem) are inseparable figures in the interdisciplinary theatre and dance scene. They work respectively as choreographer, dancer, director, and are the founders of Club Guy and Roni and NITE in Groningen.
Weizman was raised in a Jewish-Moroccan family, with it’s roots in the same neighbourhood in Casablanca where Khalid Benghrib grew up.
Both Weizman and Haver started their dancing careers at the prestigious Bat-Sheva ensemble in Tel Aviv, and they have worked together since, at various companies in Berlin, Barcelona, and at Galili Dance in Groningen.
Haver is known for her high energy choreographies which showcases utmost precision and deep concentration of the dancers. Her choreographies, with their characteristic explosive energy, requires technically skilled dancers with their own strong intuition and character.
An essential part of their artistic vision is embodied in the Human Odyssey series, where they collaborate with dance and theatre companies around the world. By exploring and capturing human existential themes, they enrich intercultural dialogue with innovative artistic exchange.
About Khalid Benghrib
Khalid Benghrib, born and raised in Casablanca, began his dance journey in La Rochelle. Inspired by his upbringing's spiritual richness, Khalid draws from traditions like Gnawa and Hmadcha. His choreography, influenced by nights of ritual and trance, serves as a window into cultural exploration and self-discovery. Recent works like L'Haal and Q-a blend contemporary dance with his ancestral heritage's vibrant colors and structures, inviting audiences to a space where tradition and modernity meet. Benghrib's artistic journey showcases the transformative power of movement, connecting different worlds and narratives to create a dance that resonates with life itself.
CREDITS
Club Guy & Roni / 2k_far / HIIIT
choreography Khalid Benghrib, Roni Haver, Guy Weizman
cast (dancers) Adam Peterson, Harléya Luya, Jésula Toussaint Visser, Kamal Aadissa, Mehdi Dahkan, Mouad Aissi, Rosie Reith, Sofiko Nachkebiya, Tatiana Matveeva
cast (musicians) Karima El Fillali, Max Frimout, Mehdi Nassouli, Niels Meliefste, Ryoko Imai
composer Max Frimout
costume design MAISON the FAUX
scenography Ascon de Nijs
light design Maarten van Rossem
sound design Peter Zwart, Bram Anneveldt
dramaturgy Friederike Schubert
