February 16, 2015
French/Brazilian Compagnie Kfig Performs at PlayhouseSquare on March 7 DANCECleveland Presents Genre-Defying Company in Ohio Debut
"This is raw energy . . . this is what dance is all about." The Daily Telegraph
"Mourad Merzouki weaves street dance, hip-hop, acrobatics, and
martial arts into elegant compositions." The New Yorker
French/Brazilian Compagnie Kfig Performs at PlayhouseSquare on March 7
DANCECleveland Presents Genre-Defying Company in Ohio Debut
CLEVELAND (February 16, 2015) Get ready for the energy and rhythm of South American samba with an urban Gallic twist when international phenomenon Compagnie Kfig, a French-based company featuring Brazilian dancers, makes its Ohio debut on Saturday, March 7 at 8:00 p.m. at the Ohio Theatre. Presented by DANCECleveland, the innovative hip-hop ensemble has been selling out performances and garnering rave reviews worldwide since its first U.S. performance in 2002.
Tickets, starting at $25, can be purchased at the PlayhouseSquare ticket office, 216-241-6000 or online at www.dancecleveland.org.
The all-male Compagnie Kfig, founded in 1996 by French-Algerian choreographer Mourad Merzouki, is praised for its irresistible personality, theatrical intelligence and astonishing dancing that bursts with fun, humor and vitality.
The Ohio Theatre repertoire features two works: Correria (Running), from 2010, a frantic, hectic race that governs our daily lives; and Agua (Water), from 2008, a vital component of our bodies, a precious natural resource to be economized and preserved, and a symbol of renewal.
Merzouki was inspired to create both works after an encounter with eleven young dancers from the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro, attempting to bring a true artistic dimension to hip-hop and expand the form. The result mixes the complexity of hip-hop with capoeira, samba, electronic music and bossa nova to showcase the Brazilians' astonishing acrobatic skills, dazzling virtuosity and passion for dance.
Born in Lyon in 1973, Merzouki began practicing martial arts and circus arts in his youth and, after encountering hip-hop in his teens, discovered dance. He developed his variety of street art while experimenting with other choreographic styles, particularly those of Maryse Delente, Jean-Francois Duroure and Josef Nadj. Merzouki has created 17 works and his company gives an average of 120 performances a year around the world.
For information on Compagnie Kfig, visit:
www.sunnyartistmanagement.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fTtPrrKEPo
ELECTRONIC PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM PAM BARR AT 216-932-5060 or barrp@roadrunner.com
DANCECleveland, a Cleveland, Ohio based non-profit, is one of a handful of presenters nationally that is dedicated solely to the presentation of modern and contemporary dance. The centerpiece of the organization's programming is its annual performance series. The performances are surrounded by an array of educational outreach events including artist-run master classes, residency programs, student matinees, pre-performance lectures and post-performance Q&A sessions, designed both to break artistic boundaries and provide community access to the dance aesthetic and dance luminaries that DANCECleveland brings to Northeast Ohio.
