Compagnie Hervé KOUBI (France/Algeria)

“Like a 19th century orientalist who came to Algeria to bring his Eastern dreams to life, I would like to bring to life my dreams of a child born in France who only discovered his true origins later on.” – HERVÉ KOUBI

France-based Compagnie Hervé KOUBI performs What The Day Owes To The Night, a highly physical, stunningly fluid work for 13 French-Algerian and African dancers. Choreographer Hervé Koubi was inspired by his father’s deathbed revelation that Koubi’s family originated in Algeria, rather than in France as Koubi had believed. Exploring the artist’s newfound roots, this spellbinding work combines capoeira (Afro-Brazilian martial arts), hip hop, and contemporary dance with powerful imagery evocative of Orientalist paintings—depictions of the Eastern world by European artists—and Islamic architecture. Though thrillingly kinetic, what lingers about the piece is the transcendence of a journey home.

“This company not only exhibits artistic excellence but also cultural relevance!” TITAS DALLAS