Born in France to Algerian parents, Abou Lagraa is a contemporary choreographer who explores the human condition and its role in society. "My Algerian origins," he confesses, "are deeply ingrained in my philosophy of life and especially in my body. My arm gestures are expressive and 'chatty'; the origin of my movements comes from the pelvis. Fortunately, my parents had no taboos about expressing emotions, despite my immersion in Maghreb culture."
This concept drives the creative arc of Abou Lagraa's work, which began in 1997 with the founding of his company, La Baraka. But his activity extends beyond the company: together with his wife Nawal, an intense dancer of Moroccan origin, he has built a bridge between France and Algeria to offer hope and training to young Algerians.
For instance, with the Ballet Contemporain d'Alger, Lagraa created Nya and El Djoudour, two works where he reaffirms his desire to return to the source, both socially and personally, by grappling with the rituals of Arab-Muslim culture regarding the body—a body that is both an object of desire, sacredness, and sometimes complete rejection. In exploring his roots, Lagraa deeply analyzes the complex relationship (in Muslim culture) between masculine and feminine, the need for contact, and the spontaneity of emotions. For him, movement exemplifies tolerance, celebrates freedom, and makes a statement.
This is also true in his latest creation, Wonderful One, premiering at Oriente Occidente. The work features a male duet and a female trio, through which the choreographer seeks, as the title suggests, "the wonder that resides within every human being."
"Being wonderful," Lagraa explains, "to me, is the ability to define oneself not solely as man or woman, but to recognize how we complement each other." The male duet is performed to Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda by Claudio Monteverdi: a small poem of suspended gestures, where the dancers transform the energy flowing through them, embodying ambiguity and doubt, pushing their physical limits to a state of trance. The female trio, on the other hand, showcases three performers of extraordinary physical richness, each making a powerful individual statement, supported by the iconic voices of renowned Arab singers such as the Egyptian Umm Kulthum and the Lebanese, Christian-born Soeur Marie Keyrouz.
"In this performance," Lagraa concludes, "I wanted to give each performer the time and space to be wonderfully alive."
