URBÄNG!: Nadia Beugré "L'Homme rare" (CIV)

In the organizer's words:

Nadia Beugré: L'Homme rare

L'Homme rare by Nadia Beugré tackles the issue of gender categorization head on. By having five naked men swing their hips on stage, she sabotages the categories of male and female. But it is also a play about our gaze. In this case, the western, voyeuristic and erotic gaze that we cast on these bodies. And especially on these black bodies. With their backs to us, they are either completely naked or wrapped in simple fabrics. Five non-white men, some wearing high-heeled shoes, sway their hips and gyrate their pelvises to undulating effect. Inspired by the various communities of Rio de Janeiro and their fast-paced urban dances, choreographer Nadia Beugré takes up these movements, which are not restricted to women, and subtly counteracts gender classification. If L'Homme rare reminds us that femininity and masculinity, fragility and masculinity are relative concepts, the piece above all holds up a mirror with which we can observe our viewing habits. The choreographer allows us to look wherever we want. However, there is no escape from the position of the voyeur, this direct heir to the dominant gaze that reifies, eroticizes and colonizes bodies, especially black bodies. By enriching it with other nuances of masculinity and with bouncy buttocks instead of bulging torsos, L'Homme rare becomes that rare kind of man who allows himself to be looked at without ever showing his face.

URBÄNG! the festival for performative arts is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the free trade zone this year. A good reason to invite outstanding international favorite artists and heartfelt pieces to celebrate the power and relevance of the stage and the shared here & now with our audience.