Created for the opening of the famous French festival Les Nuits de Fourvière, the show introduces a dialogue between dance and baroque repertoire. Interpreted on stage by Concert de l’Hostel Dieu, the music revisits the popular rhythms of Italian tarantellas. Driven by the virtuosic and heady music, the dance mixes together whirling dervish, ballet, contemporary and hip-hop, for an unusual fusion of styles, demonstrating a desire of sharing and generosity.
Press
"The effect is massive and staggering." Le Monde
"Merzouki succeeded as never before in making an alloy that is in no way artificial." Télérama
"The performance goes crescendo and climaxes in a spiral of irresistible energy." Le Figaro
Statements of intent
"After the "7Steps" project in 2014, I wished to follow the work I initiated with baroque musics. These singular and unexpected encounters between two totally opposed worlds are part of my artistic process. Throughout my creations, I have always brought hip hop towards new horizons, and confronted it to new musical universes and bodies.
In Folia, not only does hip hop dance meet with the baroque musics of the Concert de l’Hostel Dieu, but also contemporary dance, ballet and whirling dervishes. I wanted to create a true dialogue between these different disciplines.
The project had to match a theater of this scope, which is why I had the pleasure to gather on the stage of the Théâtre antique de Fourvière 16 dancers and 8 musicians."
"There are many folias… Vivaldi’s is one of the most virtuoso. There are many forms of madness… The creative madness is the one that guides the artists. Folias and madness are the very essence of our musical world : a trip from the South of Italy towards the new world, from the baroque repertoire towards electronic musics."