Joga Bonito

This piece for six performers combines hip-hop dance and freestyle soccer.

Moncef Zebiri wants to transform the stage into a playground. He invites us to a lively theater, accessible to all, far from the hushed silences reserved for insiders. In this encounter between dance and soccer, between art and sport, boundaries are blurred. The same movements, the same tension, the same shared joy emerge. Dancers and athletes alike experience the effort, the communion with their teammates, the support of the audience, the competition. And in the end, there is only one truth: that of bodies given, committed, burning, for the simple and pure beauty of the movement.

For the dance, the choreographer has chosen to use different styles of hip-hop dance that blend perfectly with the spirit of passinho: top rock, breaking, etc. The dancers are encouraged to use the ball. The freestyler, meanwhile, must master hip-hop technique so that the audience can no longer distinguish the dancers from the freestyler.

Both performance and technique are emphasized in the dance to evoke the emotions felt during major soccer matches. Vibrant, musical ensembles, moments imbued with poetry, and technical feats of breakdancing and freestyle: this piece, both physical and warm, deploys a diversity of rhythms on stage to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

The choice of intense and energetic Brazilian music allows the performers to surpass themselves on stage. The choreography, closely linked to the sounds of the chosen music, results in a particularly musical dance.

Finally, the audience is invited to interact informally with the dancers. With Joga Bonito, Moncef Zebiri aims to bring people together around the shared values of soccer and dance. This show, which is suitable for all ages and breaks with the traditional codes of live performance, can be performed in situ, in outdoor spaces not dedicated to dance.