FEDORA - YALLAH DANSE!

Presentation

Between 2024 and 2026, Emilio Calcagno has decided to involve his company in the development of an international cooperation project between Algeria, Italy and France, based on two components: training and creation.

Entitled Yallah danse! this year-long programme will train a group of 20 Algerian dancers, giving them the artistic re- sources to develop their own choreographic universe. Some of them will take part in the creation of a programme consisting of two pieces designed by Emilio Calcagno and due to be performed from autumn 2025.

The ballet Les Noces, with music by Stravinsky, will be accompanied by the piece Soyez les bienvenus, with original music by the Franco-Algerian composer Malik Djoudi.

As part of the Algerian tour organised by the French Institutes in January 2023, Emilio travelled from Oran to Algiers, via Constantine, Tlemcen and Annaba. He had the chance to meet over 100 dancers, through master classes.

During these encounters, which were powerful in both human and artistic terms, he met artists with strong personalities and a desire to do and create that went beyond their possibilities. It quickly became clear that Emilio wanted to support this talent incubator on a more permanent basis, through a training project that would be more engaging than a Master class. With Yallah danse! the apprentices will be trained and nurtured throughout this cooperation project, the aim of which is to help develop the dance sector in Algeria.

They have a sincerity, a way of dancing and a raw energy that matches his approach in every way. He also wants to take these dancers beyond urban dance. Their background will be a tool for exploring new horizons and creating their own contemporary dance.

A choreographic incubator- Auditions were held at the French Institute of Algiers on 8 and 9 November 2023. The first class of Yallah danse! was born, made up of 20 apprentices, most of them self-taught or from urban dance backgrounds. Many are fans of social networks such as Instagram or TikTok, which often represent a window on the world, a form of inspiration and communication with the outside world. This allows them to mix styles and exchange ideas with other artists about cultures and approaches to the body, without ever losing their identity.

In the form of monthly sessions, the aim of the programme in which these apprentices are involved is not to train them in a specific dance style, but to give them the keys to developing their own dance. In order to enrich the training with complementary approaches to choreography, the sessions will be taught by several guest lecturers. Apprentices will benefit from technical classes, research laboratories and choreographic composition. The course will also include dance history classes and the viewing and analysis of contemporary works in collaboration with the Numeridanse platform.

A choreographic incubator connected to the professional world - Immersive courses in various professional structures, adapted to their career paths, are planned. Sylvain Groud, director of the Roubaix CCN, has also joined the project. He will be working with the partici- pants on the transmission of his piece l’Oubli, part of which will take place in Algiers and part in Roubaix, where it will be presented to the public.

Among the participants in the project, 2 choreographers will present an extract from their first creative project on the occasion of their visit to the Roubaix CCN in February 2024. This event will be a unique choreographic experience and will give them the opportunity to meet a panel of professionals.

An entrepreneurial approach - Particular attention will be paid to supporting apprentices with a view to giving them the operational skills they need to develop their projects in Algeria. Apprentices who wish to set up their own projects will be given support to help them structure their approach and understand the basics of setting up a project. All participants will receive support in understanding their administrative environment and identifying its resources.

The aim of the programme is to contribute fully to the structuring of the Algerian dance industry.

Artistic Team