New York Live Arts to Present THE INKOMATI (DIS)CORD, 9/25-26; HA!, 9/27-28

New York Live Arts will kick off their 2013-2014 presenting season with the U.S. premiere of Boyzie Cekwana and Panaibra Canda's The Inkomati (dis)cord September 25 and 26 at 7:30pm, followed by the NYC premiere of Bouchra Ouizguen's Ha! September 27 and 28 at 7:30pm. Co-presented with the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)'s Crossing the Line 2013 festival, both productions feature new, diverse work from International Artists that cultivates dialogue among the public and artists alike.

"We're thrilled to kick-off our 2013-2014 season in partnership with FIAF's Crossing the Line 2013 and to be able to bring the powerful artistry of three trailblazing choreographers from the continent of Africa to our stage," said Carla Peterson, Artistic Director of New York Live Arts. "These deeply considered and beautifully wrought works by Cekwana, Canda and Ouizguen will offer New York audiences an opportunity to experience compelling and provocative works, smartly connected to these artists' cultural and political histories, which are an important manifestation of the global contemporary dance scene."

Making its U.S. premiere, The Inkomati (dis)cord is a collaborative work by South African artist Cekwana and Mozambique artist Canda. The work takes inspiration from both the failed, historic "Nkomati accord," a 1984 non-aggression pact signed by the Mozambique of Samora Machel and the South African apartheid state, and the "Inkomati" river, which crosses South Africa and Swaziland, ultimately spilling out into the Indian Ocean in Mozambique. In an attempt to break through artificial borders and traverse territories, using their own bodies, skins, identities and histories, the choreographers explore the internalized colonial boundaries that still alienate shared histories and aspirations. Performed by Amelia Socovinho, Maria Tembe, and Artistic Directors Canda and Cekwana, The Inkomati (dis)cord challenges languages, borders and physicality, finding a new narrative form.

After the success of Moroccan artist Ouizguen's Madame Plaza (presented at New York Live Arts in September 2012 as part of Voices of Strength and at FIAF in September 2011 as part of Crossing the Line 2010), Ouizguen returned to her homeland to delve into the relationship that individuals maintain between body, soul and obsessions, emerging with her new work, Ha!. Making its NYC premiere, Ha! was inspired by the cultural terrain and the people Ouizguen encountered during her voyage - in the desert, mountains, schools and bars - enriching the movement, song and language in this new work. Performed by Ouizguen and traditional Aïtas Fatéma El Hanna, Kabboura Aït Ben Hmad and Naïma Sahmoud, and featuring lighting by designer Jean Gabriel Valot, Ha! is an exploration of madness.

Performances will take place in New York Live Arts' Theater. Come Early Conversations and Stay Late Discussions will also be featured with two shows. Tickets are $20 and $15. Tickets may be purchased online at tickets.newyorklivearts.org, by phone at 212-924-0077 and in person at the box office. Box office hours are Monday to Friday from 1 to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 8pm.

Boyzie Cekwana and Panaibra Canda

The Inkomati (dis)cord

September 25, 26 at 7:30pm

Bouchra Ouizguen

Ha!

September 27, 28 at 7:30pm

Co-presented with the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)'s Crossing the Line 2013 festival

New York Live Arts Theater, New York Live Arts
Tickets: $20, $15
T: 212-924-0077 | www.newyorklivearts.org
219 W 19th Street, New York, NY 1001
Box Office hours
Monday-Friday 1 - 9pm | Saturday-Sunday 12 - 8pm

Schedule of Related Events:

Sep 25 at 6:30pm Come Early Conversation: Destabilizing Reality, A Discussion on African Surrealism, with Awam Amkpa, PhD (Associate Professor, NYU; author of Theater and Postcolonial Desires)

Sep 26 Stay Late Discussion: Discussing The Inkomati (dis)cord, Simon Dove, Co-Curator of Crossing the Line, in conversation with Boyzie Cekwana and Panaibra Canda

Sep 27 at 6:30pm Come Early Conversation: Aïtas and the Art of Vocal Rebellion with Lili Chopra, Artistic Director of FIAF and Co-Curator of Crossing the Line

Sep 28 Stay Late Discussion: Ha! Performing Across Cultural Borders, Carla Peterson, Artistic Director of New York Live Arts and Adrienne Edwards, Associate Curator of Performa Institute in conversation with Bouchra Ouizguen

About the Artists:

Panaibra Canda was born in Maputo and has had artistic training in theatre, music and dance. He received additional training in contemporary dance in Lisbon. He began to develop his artistic projects in 1993, and created CulturArte in 1998. Since then, he has developed many artistic projects, including creations, showcases and training projects to encourage development of the local dance scene. He also develops collaborations with artists in southern Africa and Europe, as well as collaborations with artists of other disciplines. Canda's work has been presented in Africa, Europe, the U.S. and Latin America. He has received various awards for his work: in France at the African choreographic meeting in Paris (2006), a ZKB Patronage Prize in Zurich (2008), the Sylt Quelle Cultural Award for Southern Africa (2009) and a Germany encouraging cultural prize.

Soweto born Boyzie Cekwana lives and works in South Africa. Along with some of his peers, he is part of an artistic movement devoted to developing a voice for contemporary dance practice and scholarship in Africa. For two editions, he was Artistic Director of the Jomba! Contemporary Dance Festival in Durban, South Africa. He is a key player in the creation of a regional, southern African collaborative with artists in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa. A keenness for addressing questions to the perceived historic imbalances that bequeath Africa with the devilry of a lingering, obstinate and atrocious legacy has led him to persist in working to develop his work in this regard, as well as advance the development projects in the Southern African region.

Born in 1980 in Ouarzazate, Morocco, Bouchra Ouizguen studied in France and was an Eastern dance soloist in Morroco between 1995 and 2000. She taught herself alongside three choreographers who would be decisive in her career: Bernardo Montet, Mathilde Monnier and Boris Charmatz. In 2002, she created the Dance Company Anania with Taoufiq Izeddiou and Saïd Aït El Moumen. Under the artistic direction of Mathilde Monnier, she crafted the solo Ana Ounta in 2002 in the midst of the project "Prière de regarder." Mort et moi, a dance piece created in 2005, would be presented in Marrakesh and around Tours, at the Fondation Cartier and at the Montpellier Dance Festival. At the end of 2005, she co-organized "Rencontres chorégraphiques" in Marrakesh. With Taoufiq Izeddiou, she co-wrote the duo Déserts, désires in 2006. She was a performer in Julie Nioche's Matter in 2007. That year, she also created a duo with an Aïta (a traditional Moroccan cabaret singer) that ran before her first group piece, Madame Plaza. In 2011, she created the solo Voyage Cola during the course of "Sujets à Vif" of the Festival d'Avignon with the choreographer Alain Buffard.

FIAF's mission is to create and offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French cultures. FIAF seeks to generate new ideas and promote cross cultural dialogue through partnerships and new platforms of expression. More information can be found at www.fiaf.org.

Crossing the Line is the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)'s annual fall festival, presenting interdisciplinary works and performances in New York. The festival explores the dialogue between artist and public, and examines how artists help re-imagine the world as critical thinkers and catalysts for social evolution. Crossing the Line is initiated and produced by FIAF in partnership with leading cultural institutions. The festival's seventh edition takes place this year from September 19 - October 13, 2013. More information can be found at www.fiaf.org/ctl.

New York Live Arts is a reserved seating house. Tickets are available for purchase by calling the box office at 212-924-0077 and will be available online at newyorklivearts.org. New York Live Arts Members, Associated Artists, Students, and Seniors are eligible for 20% discounts to theater performances. Box Office hours: Monday - Friday 1 - 9pm and Saturday-Sunday 12 - 8pm. Unless otherwise noted, performances take place at New York Live Arts located at 219 West 19th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.

New York Live Arts is an internationally recognized destination for innovative movement-based artistry offering audiences access to art and artists notable for their conceptual rigor, formal experimentation and active engagement with the social, political and cultural currents of our times. At the center of this identity is Bill T. Jones, Executive Artistic Director, a world-renowned choreographer, dancer, theater director and writer.

We commission, produce and present performances in our 20,000 square foot home, which includes a 184-seat theater and two 1,200 square foot studios that can be combined into one large studio. New York Live Arts serves as home base for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, provides an extensive range of participatory programs for adults and young people and supports the continuing professional development of artists. Our influence extends beyond NYC through our international cultural exchange program that currently places artists in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.