Four dancer/choreographers and four musicians meet onstage over a banquet of food
Beytna is an invitation to the home of the other, to the artist’s profession and choreographic construction. It is an invitation that confirms diversity, touches on forms and situations of the past, and searches for a new rhythm, pattern, and logic. In Beytna, four dancer/choreographers and four musicians with different artistic experiences and ideas, coming from different continents, cultures, and countries, meet onstage over a banquet of food. They talk, drink, laugh, dance, and prepare food together. This simple meeting becomes the starting point of a more complex choreographic and conceptual performance as the conversation between them develops.
“Every weekend, on Sundays, I used to go to my grandfather’s house where the whole family would gather to have lunch, drink and dance. My grandfather was a very welcoming man and he always wanted to invite friends and visitors coming from different places to share the food with us. For him, these moments of sharing and meeting were the most important moments of life. I never questioned this until after his death, when I lost such moments. These few hours between 1 and 5 in the afternoon were his escape. It was a sacred ritual with his family, guests, and friends. The table would be full of people, and everyone would raise their glasses for health, happiness,
pleasure, love, and friendship.” – Omar Rajeh
Biographies
May Bou Matar
May Bou Matar is a non-professional artist who has generously agreed to participate in her son’s creative work, sharing the creation process with him and the other choreographers. Though her primary role is as a mother of three, she has been performing in Beytna and touring since 2016. Residing in Chouf, Lebanon, she is renowned within her family and close community for her hospitality. May is also well-known locally for her delicious and unique approach to traditional Lebanese dishes. She is dedicated to preserving the traditional methods of preparing Lebanese cuisine, including the seasonal preparations of “mouneh,” a traditional method of food preservation for the winter.
Omar Rajeh
Omar Rajeh is a renowned figure in contemporary dance who made a significant impact towards establishing a contemporary dance scene in Lebanon. As the founder of Maqamat in Beirut (2002), he moved on to establish his company in Lyon (2020), earning recognition from the French Ministry of Culture ‘for his contribution and engagement in the service of Culture’ as a ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.’ With a BA in Theatre Studies from the Lebanese University and an MA in Dance Studies from the University of Surrey, Rajeh’s over twenty choreographic creations transcend conventional boundaries, challenging perceptions of body unity and singularity.
His works, characterized by vigorous movements and profound socio-political connections, resonate powerfully, leaving an enduring impact on the audience. Over two decades, Rajeh has woven, explored, and refined a unique choreographic language, taking his performances to over a hundred cities globally and participating in major dance festivals world wide. Beyond his artistic achievements, Rajeh’s contributions extend to founding the Beirut International Platform of Dance (BIPOD) in 2004, a pivotal dance festival offering an international program of performances, workshops, lectures, and meetings. Co-founding the Masahat Dance Network, spanning Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan, Rajeh’s commitment to regional connectivity culminated in the MOULTAQA LEYMOUN platform, fostering opportunities for emerging and established Arab artists.
In the heart of Beirut, Rajeh unveiled Citerne Beirut, a new performing arts space, demonstrating his dedication to enriching the cultural landscape. Although dismantled in August 2019, the space aimed to propel Maqamat’s projects towards an enhanced experience, reaching a broader audience. As the co-founder of Citerne.live, a digital cultural platform, Rajeh continues to innovate, bridging technology and the arts for wider accessibility. In essence, Omar Rajeh’s work goes beyond dance, contributing significantly to the cultural tapestry of the region with a focus on inclusivity and connection.
Anani Sanouvi
Transmedia artist, choreographer, dancer, and educator Anani Sanouvi was born in Togo, grew up in Gabon, lived in Senegal, Belgium, and Holland, and currently divides their time between Portugal and Brazil. Known for their synthesis of diverse traditions into a unique artistic language, Sanouvi has performed in theaters, festivals, museums, and cultural centers worldwide since 2001. Since 2016, they have co-directed the transmedia art collective Kawin with Brazilian artist Christiane da Cunha, exploring the transtemporal, transcultural, and interdisciplinary dimensions of their animist heritage in the present. Accolades include fellowships from UNESCO, the Africa Center, the Sacatar Foundation, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Award, and the Niterói Arts Foundation, as well as collaborations with luminaries such as Peter Sellars, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, and Anna Daevere Smith. Anani has brought AGAMA FO, their innovative approach to contemporary dance rooted in ancient principles, to major conferences and taught courses and workshops worldwide. Currently, Anani is a Dance MFA candidate, and a fellow in BAS – Berlin Center for Advanced Study in Science and Arts of the University of the Arts of Berlin. Developing a space-place project in Berlin OpenLab dwelling new technologies with his Éwé ethnic’s music and linguistic episteme and technicities for both spatial and dance creativity process.
Koen Augustijnen
Koen Augustijnen has been working closely with Les Ballets C de la B since 1991, initially as a dancer in performances staged by Alain Platel. From 1997 till 2013, he was one of the dance company’s house choreographers. His principal training and work experience has been firmly rooted in his staging of performances as a member of Les Ballets C de la B. bâche (2004) brought him an international breakthrough, followed by IMPORT/EXPORT (2006), Ashes (2009), and Au-del (2012). Since 2013, he’s been working freelance and directed a dance solo for Dalisia Pigram of the Marrugeku Company called Gudirr Gudirr in Australia. In Palestine he co-directed Badke (2013) together with Rosalba Torres Guerrero and Hildegard De Vuyst, a work for ten Palestinian dancers produced by KVS, les ballets C de la B and The Qattan Foundation. He made Sehnsucht, limited edition (2014) in the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater and Dancing Bach (2015) in Konzert Theater Bern. Together with Rosalba Torres Guerrero, he created Hochzeit (2017) in the Staatstheater Mainz with twenty dancers of TanzMainz, five actors, five musicians and special guests, and in the same house Le Sacre du Printemps in 2022. In 2017 he founded together with Rosalba Torres Guerrero “Siamese Cie”. In 2018 they opened with (B), a dance piece for 3 boxers and 7 dancers. In 2021 they opened with Lamenta, a piece for 9 Greek dancers. Their latest creation is called Amours Aveugles and opened in October 2024 with 2 accordion players, 2 opera singers and 2 dancers. Apart from Les Ballets C de la B, he often joins forces with theater companies. As with Ivo Van Hove (Toneelgroep Amsterdam), Toneelgezelschap STAN, and Chokri ben Chika to name but a few.
Jihun Choi
Jihun Choi (Korea, 1990) is a choreographer, dancer, and modern dance instructor. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Dance (2015) and a Master of Arts in Spot (2018). He was a Ph.D. student at Sejong University in Korea and worked for the Tatmaru Dance Company from 2009-2020.
He moved to Germany in 2021 and started freelance work, and was based in Munich in 2022. He is working with freelance choreographer and dancer Jin Lee at ZINADA Group and with Ceren Oran & Moving Borders (So). In Korea, he has been a dancer in many works, including that of Hyungnam Kim (Running 2020), Pilgyun Jeong (Story 2020), Kyu-jin Kim (Fun 2019), Jang-hyun Ryu (2018), Hyun-kyung Lee (2018), and Wonmin Shin (2017). After he relocated to Europe, he worked with Ceren Oran (The Urge 2021), Rebekka Böhme (FRENCH.ARTING 2022), (Variations for Him 2022), and Rotem Weissman (Prism 2023) as a dancer.
As a choreographer in Korea, he created Three Idiots (2018) and Move Gallery (2018), and worked with choreographer Kyujin Kim for Movement (2019). In 2023, they successfully completed the performance HUABUN in Munich/HUABUN as a team of ZINADA with choreographer and dancer Lee Jin. The ZINADA team is now preparing for a new show in 2024.
Ziad El Ahmadie
Ziad El Ahmadie is a Lebanese composer, oud player, and singer living in Beirut. While Ziad’s interest in music stems from traditional Arabic music, he constantly fuses sounds from various influences and creates wide-ranging harmonies in his musical creations. Ziad has won many awards in musical composition among which include the Zaki Nassif Award in Beirut in 2013, and the Roland Mediterranean Festival competition in Palermo-Italy in 1999. As an oud soloist, he collaborated with several composers such as Gene Coleman and Robert Clerc. As a composer, he composes music for television, cinema, and theater.
Samir Nasr Eddine
Samir Nasr Eddine is a Lebanese musician and music instructor. With a BA in Music Sciences & Oud, Samir managed to explore the world of music through his oriental instrument, the oud, which resulted in the release of his first musical album Fantasia (2015). This album was a best seller for a whole year at Virgin Megastore. Samir composed music for many TV shows, promotions, plays, and short movies. He presented his music in many countries abroad. He is now in the process of recording his second album.
Youssef Hbeisch
Youssef Hbeisch is an Arab percussionist of Palestinian origin who developed contemporary ways of playing and combining complex Arabian rhythms. He plays along some of the most prominent musicians in the Arab region and beyond: Simon Shaheen (oud player), Süleyman Erguner (Ottoman and Sufi music), Aka Moon (modern jazz), Ibrahim Maalouf (fusion), Bratsch (gypsy, Balkan), the Oriental Music Ensemble (classical oriental), and Trio Joubran. He also forms a duo with Ahmad Al Khatib. Hbeisch studied music and philosophy at the University of Haifa. He now lives in Paris.
Afif Merhej
Afif Merhej is a Lebanese musician, considered one of the most skilled young Oud players mastering the traditional oriental Taqasim. He has a contemporary approach to this authentic and traditional instrument. He has been invited several times as a guest musician on television talk shows on many local and satellite Arab Stations. He has also participated in several musical programs, such as Superstar & The Voice. He has played with many prominent Lebanese artists such as Jahida Wehbeh, Rima Khcheich and Ghada Shbeir. Participated in many cultural festivals in Arab countries to mention Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Tunis, Egypt, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait & Bahrain as well as in European countries such as France, Holland, Spain and Serbia extending all the way to China. He joined the Lebanese Artist Omar Rajeh in 2024 as a Oud player in the project Beytna which was shown at Womadelaid festival in Australia as well as in Chambery city in France and will continue to tour in the coming years.
Philippe Balzé
Philippe Balzé is a sound engineer who works both in the studio and live. Very eclectic in his musical tastes, he works with pop, electro, rock, jazz and world music groups. In particular, he has worked with Archive, Jane Birkin, Maqamat company, the Joubran trio and Damien Saez (….). In recent years, he has also composed music for documentaries, commercials and feature films.
Christian François
Christian François started his career as a sound engineer, performing concerts live with different alternative rock bands. He worked in this field until 2002. In 2002 began a new adventure with Charleroi Danses where he toured as a sound technician. In 2005, he made his first light creation at the request of choreographer Ted Stoffer who predicted a talent in this area. Since then, the light, the video, the scenography became his main route, chaining light creations, and scenography and tours of different shows with different companies. He is also a technical director on large scale events projects, and currently technical director of Cie Maqamat, Cie “Le boréal” and Cie “The color blind” and continues to create light and scenography pieces. – Beytna – Cie Omar Rajeh | Maqamat Presented with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels – Shows and Theatrical Plays The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Beytna – Cie Omar Rajeh | Maqamat Presented with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
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Shows and Theatrical Plays in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates by The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
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