Annonay (France) (AFP)

Abou and Nawal Lagraa, figures of contemporary dance, are back with their show Premier (s) Pas. A project whose ambition is not only artistic but also social while the profession is becoming ever more precarious.

The ten dancers participating in the project - out of 720 applicants! - will perform on French and world stages, but will simultaneously receive training to help them build their careers.

"It's a 360-degree project," says Abou Lagraa. "We allow them to dance on stage, to shoot but also to learn what entrepreneurship is, communication ... Essential things that today are not done in the dance world".

The dancers chosen are between 20 and 35 years old; they come from classical, contemporary, jazz or hip-hop and are all professional.

- Uneven routes -

"In their journey, they encountered difficulties that prevented them from going after their dream," said Abou Lagraa. Some have more than ten years of dance behind them. This is the case of Rhiannon Morgan, 33 years old.

The tall, slender young woman, whose accent suggests English origins, started dancing "quite late", at 17 years old. And it was not until two years later that she decided to dedicate her life to it.

A year of training in Montpellier, a master's degree in contemporary dance in London ... Since then, she has been strolling around Europe as opportunities arise.

Besides some successes - such as the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games in London alongside the choreographer Akram Khan - she especially experienced galleys and disappointments.

"These slack periods are the most difficult," says Rhiannon. "We are wasting money going to auditions, we are taking doors ...". And, inevitably, "we lose self-confidence".

"In 2020, being a dancer-performer is not enough," concludes the young woman. Now to earn a living, you must also know how to communicate, argue, build a project, find funding ... Essential skills but absent from the curriculum of most dance schools.

The new generation has understood this. At 22, Johana Malédon started with her own company after leaving school. With the Premier (s) Pas project, Guyana hopes to acquire the knowledge necessary for the management and development of its structure.

- Citizen dancers -

Since its creation by Abou Lagraa in 1997, the company La Baraka (luck in Arabic) seeks to transmit its good fortune to the whole profession and even beyond. Multicultural exchanges, solidarity, support for young talents, cultural mediation ...

But a project like this is a first. For the Baraka, as for the world of dance.

"We have never been interested in the condition of the dancer", denounces Abou Lagraa.

With Premier (s) Pas, and thanks to the financial support of the Edmond de Rothschild foundations, the choreographers hope to "open a debate" in this professional environment.

"Should we create a union?" Wonders his wife Nawal. "Artists cut off from the world no longer exist. We need citizen dancers," defends the choreographer.

Thanks to this project, the ten dancers will be able to devote themselves to dancing 100% for two years without worrying about the end of the month ... A rare opportunity in the profession.

After several weeks of creation at the Sainte-Marie d'Annonay chapel (Ardèche) - La Baraka HQ ​​-, their show will now have to seduce the public. First this Saturday for the preview at Annonay. Then at the Suresnes dance festival the following week.

The choreographers will keep their baby alive for many weeks before adopting another in the same spirit with new dancers. Meanwhile, Abou Lagraa should be in Germany for a 29th creation: a ballet for the Zurich opera house.

© 2020 AFP