Faso Danse Theatre
Artistic direction: Serge-Aimé Coulibaly
Creation: 2002
In traditional African societies, music, dance and theatre are inseparable in the world of performing arts. Being on stage means embodying a character and it also means dancing!
With this in mind, the Faso Danse Théâtre Company was born in 2002. Serge-Aimé Coulibaly, the artistic director, did not wish to create a simple dance company but rather a space for creation, for encounters, for reflection and research on contemporary choreographic creation from an African viewpoint. As such, the Faso Danse Théâtre (FDT) groups together and supports several young artists who have already acquired clear and assertive choreographic language.
For the Faso Danse Théâtre, choreographic creation and, more generally speaking, art as a whole, are first and foremost a commitment. The willingness to question and to induce reactions. The desire to make the public take an interest in powerful themes, through the emotion aroused by the performance, through dance, words, music and set design. The way in which a universal language is used to question, to share, to open mindsets and to make contemporary African choreographic creation known. Here, originality, energy and power are drawn from strong traditional roots and by opening up to other techniques and other approaches.
Through its artistic (exploring theme-based dance, music and theatre) and pedagogical project, the Faso Danse Théâtre strives to contribute to the cultural, economic and social development of its country. The FDT regularly partners with different local, regional and international associations and institutions, initiating creative, awareness and research projects (the Mappemonde project with the National Choreographic Centre (CCN) in Roubaix, Fitry as part of the Nuit des Musées (Night of the Museums) project, “En attendant l’indépendance pour le Cinquantenaire des Indépendances”).
Through its regular actions, the FDT also aims to make the world of arts and culture more accessible and to reach a variety of publics (participative projects, amateur groups), to open up contemporary dance and to encourage young people to stop “victimizing themselves”, to offer a gateway to the world, to innovate and to create.
Each work, created since 2002, exemplifies this ongoing reflection on current political, social and economic issues. It is the perpetual expression of a quest to find solutions for universal challenges.
Source : Faso Danse Théâtre Company ‘s website
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