Choreographic creation 2025:

Choreography: Régis Tsoumbou Bakana

Performers: Régis Tsoumbou Bakana and Lucie Retail

Outside views: Sophie Bulbulyan (DK-BEL Company) - Babacar Cissé (Les Associés Crew Company)

Music: Trifon Koutsourelis

Lighting design: Niko Perret

Costumes: Flora Fabèle

 

Statement of intent:

In the creation "From where I am", I seek to question myself and to question the public on the notions of

positioning and legitimacy regarding the upheavals into which life sometimes takes us.

How can we take our place so that our words take on meaning and have an impact in the society in which we live, hence

where we come from and where we are going, with our history?

I grew up in an African society where being a choreographer and dancer is not recognized by society and family. In 2011, I left my country Gabon for Burkina Faso to train in contemporary African dance with Irène Tassembedo. In 2015, I experienced the deposition of the then president by the population, which caused many Burkinabe civilian and military deaths. Seeing the commitment and courage of the population (particularly the Burkinabe cultural and artistic class, called "bamboo citizen"), in no longer wanting to remain silent in the face of political lies, in wanting to change their way of life and governance, made me question my importance as a foreign artist in another country. Was I legitimate to speak about this situation, artistically, as a witness, in this time of serious crisis?

This question remained with me, and meeting my partner Lucie Retail reinforced my idea of addressing the subject of commitment, speaking out, and being a spokesperson through art. Lucie's life was turned upside down eighteen months ago by the amputation of all four of her limbs due to severe malaria. A dancer and chorister, and mother of three, she had to adapt to this new life and, over time, created a new identity that she fully embraces. Present at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games through her video testimony, she is also an ambassador for the Zero Malaria association. She too is questioning this new role that society has given her as a resilient person with a disability. Is she legitimate enough to talk about disability in the broadest sense? Aren't there nuances that need to be added to the discourse?

With "From Where I Am" with my partner Lucie, through dance, we will try to have a reflection and a common vision to talk about commitment and positioning. This encounter with our two different and strong stories will question us on the way we experience the upheavals of life inside us. Constructed as a dialogue, this piece will seek to broaden our perspectives to evolve our points of view, through mutual questioning and the search for solutions to our commitments as artists. Life sometimes takes us down a steep or remote path... Are we ready to take a step back, to trust in life, to accept where it places us? Isn't there always a reason for this? Are we capable of throwing away our inner brakes and feeling legitimate in the fights we have chosen? With our 2 different origins, our 2 different sexes, our 2 different histories and the same observation, we will seek these nuances to enable us to respond to the urgency of our essential and necessary word, to transform the

"I in We"