Radhouane El Meddeb
Trained at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Art of Tunis, he is recognized as “The young hopeful of the Tunisian theatre” in 1996 by the Tunisian Section of the International Theatre Institute. He is, then, recruited as an actor within the training and research workshop of the National Theatre of Toulouse under the direction of Jacques Rosner.
In Tunisia, he works with Fadhel Jaibi, Taoufik Jebali and Mohamed Driss, highly influential artists in the Arab world. In France, he works with the directors Jacques Rosner, Lotfi Achour and Catherine Boskowitz. As a movie actor, he appeared in two films by Férid Boughdir, « Un Eté à la Goulette » (A Summer at La Goulette) and « Halfaouine, l’Enfant des Terrasses » (Halfaouine, The child of Terrace Roofs). Being quite fond of dancing, he is equally nurtured by classes directed by Lisa Nelson and Jean Laurent Sasportès in Europe. Because he felt the need for an artistic experience other than the theatre, he signed for his first creation in 2005, a solo dance entitled « Pour en finir avec MOI » (To finish with MY SELF), as an intimate introspection and a vital experience.
In 2008 and 2009, Radhouane El Meddeb participated to « Corps produit, corps productif » (Produced body, producing body), held by the International Choreography Festival of Seine-Saint-Denis and to Mon corps, mon lieu / My body, my place, supported by the Fondation Culture et Diversité. These workshops attempt to raise awareness of contemporary dancing and to transmit choreographic composition to a large audience, bringing together young people coming from Zones d’ Education Prioritaire (Areas of Priority Education), women members of neighborhood associations and also elderly people.
In 2010, he created his first group show, at the CND, “Ce que nous sommes” (What we are), with five dancers, which has been on tour in France for two years.
In July 2012, at the Montpellier Danse Festival, he created and danced the solo dance “Sous leurs pieds, le paradis” (Under their feets, the heaven), whose choreographic composition is shared with Thomas Lebrun. In 2012, he is invited by Matias Pilet and Alexandre Fournier to choreograph the nouveau cirque duo “Nos limites” (Our limits), created in 2013 at the CENTQUATRE-PARIS.
In 2014, he created a new group show “Au temps où les Arabes dansaient” (In the days when the Arabs were dancing), a performance for 4 dancers, within the International Festival CDC Toulouse and région Midi-Pyrénées and at the CENTQUATRE-PARIS.
In 2015, with the support of the National Monuments Centre and in the frame of the first edition of the event Monuments en Mouvements / Monuments in Movements, Radhouane El Meddeb presented the premiere of Heroes, prelude, performance for 10 urban dancers, at Pantheon in Paris, which hosted contemporary dance for the first time. In June 2015, he’s invited by the College of Dance Biennale in Venice, he choreographed « Nous sommes tous étrangers » (We are all Foreigners) at Campo San Trovaso, with Italian interpreters.
In 2016, Radhouane El Meddeb continues the work with interpreters of « Heroes prelude ». The premiere of this new creation called « Heroes » is presented at the Festival of Marseille -Dance and Arts Multiples 2016. He also creates the solo « A mon père, une dernière danse et un premier baiser » (To my father, one last dance and a first kiss) that is presented at Montpellier Danse 2016.
Source : Compagnie de Soi ‘s website
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