Brings Powerful “The Barbarian Nights” to the Royal Theatre for Two Nights Only!
Dance Victoria celebrates its return to the Royal Theatre with France’s Compagnie Hervé KOUBI in the spellbinding The Barbarian Nights on February 4 and February 5, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
The Barbarian Nights (or The First Dawns of the World) is a sequel to the company’s seminal work, What the day owes to the night, presented last year for Dance Victoria’s Virtual Home Season. Thirteen male dancers whirl around a stage in outbursts of cartwheels, somersaults, forward flips, back flips and head spins to music by Wagner, Mozart and Fauré, dressed in Swarovski-inspired headgear.
Artistic Director/Choreographer Hervé Koubi didn’t discover that he was Algerian until age 25. Exploring his roots and the origin of the Mediterranean basin and cultures led to the creation of The Barbarian Nights which investigates ancestral fear of strangers and the innate desire to resist people who are different.
“I use dance to develop the relationship we have with the unknown, with the so-called barbarian. What I seek is not a rehabilitation of history towards these peoples, but to bring a more sensitive light, filled with humanity and try to make these Barbarians loved, these Barbarians who are also our ancestors in some ways,” Koubi explains. “As I was vainly attempting to search for reconciliation with the land of my ancestors in Algeria, new ties have instead emerged. Ties that have allowed me to reap a deeper understanding of my own background and roots.”
Koubi traveled to North Africa and auditioned more than 250 people for his company, selecting 13 men who had street dance backgrounds mostly in hip-hop and specialized acrobatics. He mixes their dance skills with his own contemporary choreography. The performance marks Dance Victoria’s return to the Royal Theatre for its 25th Anniversary Season with three presentations by acclaimed dance companies from February to April with the option to livestream the performances from the Royal Theatre stage to your home. For more information, visit DanceVictoria.com.
Jerry Hochman, Critical Dance
Who is the barbarian: the invaded, or the invaders? Barbarian Nights not only turns the tables; it turns it in the direction of those whose voices have previously been muted.
Compagnie Hervé KOUBI
Royal Theatre
Friday, February 4, 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 5, 7:30 pm
How To Buy Tickets
Dance at the Royal Series single tickets, 3-show subscriptions and discount flex passes are available for purchase online or through the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society.
In Person: Visit the Royal or McPherson Box Offices, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Phone: 250-386-6121 or Toll Free 1-888-717-6121
Online @ DanceVictoria.com or rmts.bc.ca
Prices include GST, credit card fees and ticket surcharges.
Single Ticket Prices (Non-Subscriber Pricing)
Loge $105.50
Premium $96.50
A $85.50
B $65.50
C+ $35.00
C $29.00
Dance Victoria’s Dance at the Royal Series
Compagnie Hervé KOUBI | Feb 4 & 5, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Ballet BC | March 11 & 12 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Ballet Hispánico | Apr 8 & 9, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
About Compagnie Hervé KOUBI
Of Algerian roots, Hervé Koubi grew up in France where he studied biology and dance at the University of Aix-en-Provence before graduating as a Pharmaceutical Doctor in 2002. He decided to concentrate on a dancing career graduating from the Rosella Hightower School of Dance in Cannes, gaining experience as a dancer and creating his first project Le Golem. He formed his own company in 2010 working with 12 to 14 all-male street dancers from North Africa on several works like What the Day Owes to The Night, The Barbarian Nights or The First Dawns of the World and Boys Don’t Cry. He was Associate Choreographer at the Pole National Supérieur de Danse in France and received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2015. The company’s past four seasons of extensive touring has included 70 performances annually in Europe and North America.
Health & Safety
The health of our patrons, performers, staff, and community is very important to us. Dance Victoria and the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society follow recommendations from the Public Health Office to ensure the communicative diseases safety plan meets all current standards. Please visit rmts.bc.ca for their ticketing policy and the most up-to-date safety guidelines while attending theatre events.
About Dance Victoria
Dance Victoria brings the World’s Best Dance to the Royal Theatre and your home and supports the development of new dance for the international stage from its studios in Quadra Village. Dance Victoria is a non-profit charitable society. DanceVictoria.com
Media Contact
Tracy Smith
Marketing Manager, Dance Victoria
[email protected]
O: 250-595-1829