Cameroonian choreographer Massidi Adiatou and his troupe thrilled the audience at the Limoges Opera with their creation We go down to Princess Street. Previously, braving terrible weather conditions, local enthusiasts and professionals from his company gave their all in the city centre of Limoges.
We go down to Princess Streetthe first creation given at the Zébrures d’Automne 2024, literally raised the public.
After the performance, many spectators responded to the troupe’s invitation to come and dance with them on stage. The others gave a standing ovation to what they had just seen in the audience.
It must be said that the dance of Massidi Adiatou and his performers is most impressive. It recreates the atmosphere of Rue Princesse, a street of party-goers, night owls, party-goers and crazy people with crazy clothes. This street existed in Abidjan until 2011 when it was razed by the government of Alassane Ouattara.
A telluric dance
In this street, Massidi Adiatou recreates the crazy atmosphere of a “maqui” of this street, a small restaurant with a loud sound system. It is expressed by the telluric urban Afro dance of the fifteen dazzling performers. Their individual performances are breathtaking. The powerful ensemble rhythms, tuned to the millimeter, lead the dancers but also the audience into an enthusiastic trance. The drummer has a lot to do with it.
The party, a cross between rhythms coming straight from the ancient forgotten empires of Africa and the powerful urban inventions of today, imposes itself here as a means of transcending the harshness and violence of the world. Harshness of life in Cameroon and Africa. Violence of the current state of the world.
Before this big moment, the professionals of the troupe joined about fifty Limousin amateurs for an urban Afro dance in Limoges, between the places of La Motte and La République. The incessant rain could have spoiled this moment. Dancers braved it, bringing to life in the heart of the city, against all odds, an “exceptional experience” (according to one participant).
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We go down to Rue Princesse to see the Autumn Zebras. Friday, September 27, Limoges Opera, 8:30 p.m. – prices at the public’s choice: €5, €10, €15 or €20.
Autumn Zebra Stripes in Limoges and its region. This French-speaking creative festival also includes theatre, music, films, round tables and meetings (between free and open-priced rates).
The full program on lesfrancophonies.fr
Muriel Mingau
