On a beautiful Wednesday of May 1 2024, I had the pleasure of attending Compagnie Pyramid’s Beneath The Weight of Feathers presented at Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz. Upon arriving at the theater, happy show-goers were greeted with an array of food and drinks before finding their seats to witness the choreographic work of Fouad Kouchy and the whimsical strength of performers Yann Crayssac, Mounir Kerfah, Benjamin Midonet, and Mounir Touaa.
The stage was set as a dreamlike cityscape with a distorted park bench, and a large, sloped platform with a single lit streetlight atop it. This scene is notably a nod to the streets that birthed hip hop culture, bringing an important aspect of its roots to the stage. The set design was created by Olivier Borne and was a poignant spectacle to the performance.
Compagnie Pyramid’s “Beneath The Weight of Feathers” – Photo ©Nicolas Soira.
The scene comes to life with the four dancers stumbling out of a dusty trunk that is attached to the sloped platform. Entering the space with a cheeky, and almost comedic attitude that suits the fantastical appearance of the set. Beneath The Weight of Feathers is an exploration of the passage of time, and along with time, the memories that come with it. The dancers liven up the stage with superb physicality in hip hop skills such as breaking, popping, and house styles aligned with mime work and physical theater. The melding of these skills was executed seamlessly by the dancers as they brought everyday scenarios into quirky and disjointed reflections through their extensive movement vocabulary.
Compagnie Pyramid’s “Beneath The Weight of Feathers” – Photo ©Nicolas Soira.
The performance transcended memory through trios, duets, and solos, all exhibiting extreme physical caliber, one that had audience members cheering throughout the evening. Dancers contorted themselves in all directions while balancing, turning, and flipping from precarious positions almost seamlessly. The context of the show provoked interpersonal thought regarding one’s own memory, and how real or not real our memories become as time goes on. The dichotomy of physicality and emotional performance was effortlessly executed from the dancers.
It was extremely refreshing and exciting to see the artistic and technical excellence of street styles such as breaking take the stage in a concert setting. The work of Compagnie Pyramid reminded me of the same groundbreaking practice of Rubberband Dance, taking techniques born in the streets of the Bronx belonging to the black and brown community and bringing it to the forefront of concert performance. It’s important to note that bringing these styles to the theater does not make it any more excellent or impressive but brings more visibility to the techniques and infiltrates its brilliance into a broader range of audiences.
Compagnie Pyramid’s “Beneath The Weight of Feathers” – Photo ©Nicolas Soira.
It was a great pleasure to witness the excellence of the French dance company, Compagnie Pyramid and their performance of Beneath The Weight of Feathers. The evening had me cheering, pondering, and reflecting on the history of street styles and its attribution to my personal dance experience and career. I look forward to attending more performances at Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz in the future.
For more information about Compagnie Pyramid, please visit their website.
To learn more about Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, please visit their website.
Written by Rebecca Lee for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Compagnie Pyramid’s Beneath The Weight of Feathers – Photo ©Nicolas Soira.
