On stage, the performers of "Aayshin" move around a scaffolding that has become a metaphor for a home in perpetual reconstruction. (Photo provided by al-Sarab)
In Lebanon, staging a contemporary dance show is in itself an act of resistance. With "Aayshin" (Can't Complain), the al-Sarab dance troupe returns with a self-reflexive questioning of the act of dancing in a country at war, examining the concept of home — a metaphor for the nation — unfolding like a triptych in which place, body, movement and violence are etched in a region in perpetual turmoil.Founded in the city of Byblos in the aftermath of the civil war, in 1991, by dancer and choreographer Nadra Assaf, al-Sarab shapes bodies and minds by engaging with social, cultural and political realities, while contributing to the development of contemporary dance in Lebanon and the region. Behind the scenes of the show, L'Orient-Le Jour met with the young choreographers and dancers.Within the troupe, there is no hierarchy....
In Lebanon, staging a contemporary dance show is in itself an act of resistance. With "Aayshin" (Can't Complain), the al-Sarab dance troupe returns with a self-reflexive questioning of the act of dancing in a country at war, examining the concept of home — a metaphor for the nation — unfolding like a triptych in which place, body, movement and violence are etched in a region in perpetual turmoil.Founded in the city of Byblos in the aftermath of the civil war, in 1991, by dancer and choreographer Nadra Assaf, al-Sarab shapes bodies and minds by engaging with social, cultural and political realities, while contributing to the development of contemporary dance in Lebanon and the region. Behind the scenes of the show, L'Orient-Le Jour met with the young choreographers and dancers.Within the troupe, there is no...
