{"id":12017,"date":"2013-06-18T16:12:01","date_gmt":"2013-06-18T21:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.berkshirelinks.com\/?p=12017"},"modified":"2013-06-18T16:12:01","modified_gmt":"2013-06-18T21:12:01","slug":"compagnie-kafig-at-jacobs-pillow-june-26-30-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idealpoetry.com\/rwc\/compagnie-kafig-at-jacobs-pillow-june-26-30-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Compagnie K\u00e4fig at Jacob’s Pillow June 26-30, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Compagnie K\u00e4fig at Jacob’s Pillow June 26-30, 2013<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n

\"Compagne<\/a>Jacob\u2019s Pillow<\/strong> presents Compagnie K\u00e4fig<\/strong> June 26-30 in the Ted Shawn Theatre in Becket, MA<\/a>. Compagnie K\u00e4fig is an international ensemble of dynamic hip-hop dancers led by universally acclaimed Artistic Director and choreographer Mourad Merzouki<\/strong>. They were the smash hit of Festival 2012 with sold-out shows and favorable reviews; the company performs in an encore program of two virtuosic works, Correria and AGWA, both bursting with athleticism, artistry, and drama.<\/p>\n

A major figure on the hip-hop scene since the early 1990s, choreographer Mourad Merzouki works at the junction of many different movement disciplines, fusing circus, martial arts, fine arts, and music with a continuous exploration of all hip-hop styles. He is known for opening up new outlooks in dance, while honoring the hip-hop movement\u2019s roots and its social and geographical origins.<\/p>\n

About Mourad Merzouki<\/h2>\n

Born in Lyon, France, in 1973, Merzouki started learning martial arts and circus skills at age seven. At 15, he discovered hip-hop and began exploring the world of dance, orienting his hip-hop style towards more professional horizons and testing himself in other dance styles. With this experience came the urge to undertake his own artistic projects, mixing hip-hop with what he had learned about the performing arts. He created the Accrorap company, with other dancers, in 1989. In 1994, the company performed ATHINA at the Lyon Biennale de la Danse and was acclaimed for taking hip-hop from the street to the stage without losing its true identity. The troupe\u2019s first international performance took them to refugee camps in Croatia, where they learned that dance can be a potent means of communication in extreme situations.<\/p>\n

In 1996, Merzouki created his own company, K\u00e4fig. In May 2004, he received the award for Best Young Choreographer at the International Dance Festival in Wolfsburg, Germany. Other winners included Maurice B\u00e9jart, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Tero Saarinen. In July that same year, Merzouki was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of Arts and Letters) by the Minister of Culture and Communications. In 2006, Merzouki received the SACD\u2019s New Dance Talent Award. In 2008, he received the Cr\u00e9ateurs sans Fronti\u00e8res Award (Creators without Borders) from Bernard Kouchner, France\u2019s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs; the award singles out artists and cultural personalities who have had an impact on the international arts scene. In 2008, Merzouki joined the Board of Directors of the Centre National de la Danse in Pantin, France, for a three-year term and in 2009 he was appointed as Director of the Centre Chor\u00e9graphique National de Cr\u00e9teil\/Val-de-Marne.<\/p>\n

Contact info. and Directions to Jacob’s Pillow<\/h2>\n

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