Moroccan artist Ahlam El Morsli and Tunisian artist Wajdi Gagui are both dancers and choreographers with the Col Jam company. They were in residence at the Villa Ruffieux in Switzerland from 6 to 16 January 2023, then at the CCR in Ambronay from 20 February to 3 March.
The Col Jam company aims to promote art and cultural diversity and make it a permanent fixture in Morocco, reaching out to diverse populations and making it more accessible to all. Col Jam also seeks to highlight different artistic trends, particularly contemporary dance combined with the street arts, the graphic and visual arts and music. It also does a great deal of work to raise awareness and provide educational training.
The Compagnie Passaros was founded in October 1999. Founded by Émilie Borgo, the contemporary dance company is based on improvisation. From the outset, the aim was to create and present dance shows, to run projects with people in France and abroad, and to try to reach out to all audiences.
The Moroccan company Col Jam joined forces with the French company Passaros to create Les gens qui dansent in 2023. For over ten years, these artists have been building bridges across the Mediterranean, working on the theme of borders, movement, roots and cross-fertilisation.
Supported by the Odyssée programme, Ahlam El Morsli and Wajdi Gagui from the Col Jam company first worked at the Villa Ruffieux in Switzerland and are now continuing their research between the MCC (Maison de la Culture et de la Citoyenneté) in Bourg-en-Bresse, the Centre culturel Aragon in Oyonnax and the CCR in Ambronay.
The artists perform to a musical creation by Ishiban in complicity with the sound universe of the ensemble Canticum Novum and its repertoire Samaï/Alep la Cosmopolite.
"Les gens qui dansent" (People who dance) gives us the opportunity to open our eyes to our humanities, our mixed races, to ask ourselves questions about our deepest beliefs, our roots, what connects us more than what divides us.