English
Between the 4th – 26th of March, the festival Hoptimum will be bringing to Paris its eclectic mix of dance, rap and graffiti. It´s a thirteen night long party, and takes place in east Paris, an area long associated with urban and hip hop cultures, and will this year be themed around music from South Africa and Vietnam.
Other fresh new editions to the festival this year include the collaboration of Marie-Agnes Gillot, the Ópera de Paris’ prima ballerina, with the performance Les Rares Différences. Considered an innovator of contemporary dance, she was attracted to hip hop for its strong rhythmic harmony, as she has explained in interviews; “I’ve learnt a lot from hip hop, especially disassociation of movement.” In it’s mere 30 minutes, Les Rares Differences packs in classical dance, hip hop, along with extra atmosphere provided by music from Willie Bobo, Nunernik Otto, Bela Bartok and Gabriel Fauré. It will be on the 5th March, in Lagny-sur-Marne.
The hip hop movement was born in the United States in the 70s, growing out of the Afro-American and Latino street cultures of New York’s poorer neighbourhoods. Hip hop culture is made up of four types of artistic expression – Mcing or rapping, Djing or turntable, breakdance or Bboying, and all types of graffiti. Those who were part of the original hip hop culture saw themselves as anti-establishment, and fighting against social and racial discrimination.
The festival isn’t just political, but sensual too, as seen in Sébastien Ramirez and Hyun-Hung Wang´s Amor & Psyche, winner of the Special Prize in Osaka in 2009. Two choreographers, they have created a dance performance free of any classification or style, which mixes body and space in hot, sensual and gripping spectacle. It will be shown on the 19th and 20th March in Nangis.
Perhaps the most hotly awaited item on the bill is dance competition Break in show and Battle or not Battle between dance companies Phase T and Fantastik Armada, taking place on the 6th March in Champagne-sur-Seine. The Fantastik Armada group was formed when a group of young people started dancing hip hop in a school in Paris, and more and more people joined up.
Another special part of the festival will be on the 12th and 13th of March, with We Ar(t) Urban!, a mixture of graffiti battles, rap concerts, exhibitions, and performances from acts such as Mitry-Mory.
More information at http://www.seine-et-marne.fr/festival-hoptimum
Nancy Guzman
If you find yourself in Paris for the close of the festival, you can do some hip hop dancing yourself, along with the professionals in Villeparisis. And then get some rest after a long day´s dancing in your apartments in Paris
Translated by: Poppy
