Nacera Belaza

The last time the Algerian dancer and choreographer Nacera Belaza visited DE SINGEL, her haunting work was inspired by the iconic image of the Falling Man on 9/11. Now she returns with the renowned French film and theatre actress Valérie Dréville for a duet that sits at the intersection of dance and text-based theatre.

Following an intense week of experimentation in Belaza's studio, the two women discovered a shared purpose: to use art to explore their innermost selves. Do not label Belaza as merely a dancer, or Dréville as just an actress: both are performers. For Belaza, dance is a way of speaking with the body, driven by the intention to convey a narrative. The viewer is thus encouraged to listen rather than simply watch. This duet reveals dance as a mysterious language, one that can only be expressed through movement. Dréville, who has already graced the stage of DE SINGEL with productions by Romeo Castellucci and Anatoli Vassiliev, always speaks with a physical intensity. Her body conveys the same message as her words, even amplifying it. A performance about the intimate joy of dancing with a kindred spirit, about being seen and heard.