‘The show is as light as the dance with feathers introducing it… The characters appear as relieved living reminders of Charlie Chaplin and Folon.’ - Marie-Christine Vernay, Libération

In its dynamic performances, The ACCRORAP Dance Company tells stories, creating social gatherings, and gives birth to emotions. The dances of Accrorap is generous; it seeks to break barriers, and cross borders. The dance eludes the “suburban” label while asserting the dialogue between hip-hop and contemporary dance.

In 1989, Kader Attou, Mourad Merzouki and Eric Mezino founded Accrorap in Saint-Priest (South-East of Lyon). The group sought to gather the energy of the hip hop and breakdance frenzy of late 1990’s France. Since then, the company has set up different dance shows that foster dialogue between bodies and cultures, while questioning the concept of ‘world citizenship’ through dance and body language.

To site a few shows as example: ‘KELKEMO’ (1986) is a tribute to the children of Zaghreb refugees; ‘M’PANANDRO’ (1999) to which Kader Attou invited artists from Maghreb to renew the dialogue in a time of high political tension; ‘ANOKHA’ (2000), a French-Indian project where hip-hop meets Katak and Baratanatyam traditional dances; ‘DOUAR’ (2003) that emphasizes the issue of exile in the Algerian context; ‘LES CORPS ETRANGERS’ (2006) that questions cultural diversity and gathers dancers from India, Brazil, Algeria and France, etc.

LITTLE STORIES.COM has been vastly successful. It was presented at the renowned Suresnes Cité Danse Festival, and then greeted with applause at the international Lyon Dance Biennale before a US tour. The choreographer chose to work with a familiar subject; that of a Saint-Priest man filled with arresting memories from his childhood in the South suburbs of Lyon. LITTLE STORIES.COM has won the 2008 Mimos Prize of Mime Festival in Périgueux.

On September 5th 2008, Kader Attou was appointed the new director of the French National Choreographic Centre of la Rochelle by Christine Albanel from The Ministry of Culture and Communication, and succeeded Régine Chopinot.  

Workshops and masterclasses will be organized in collaboration with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation.
For more information: www.hkapa.edu and www.hkyaf.com