For this new production, due to premiere in autumn 2027, Salia Sanou and Rokia Traoré draw us into the world of Nina Simone, a leading figure in African-American music and the civil rights movement. Without seeking to retrace her life, their collaborative choreography and music bring to life what remains vibrant in a work that blends jazz, blues, soul and social commitment. On stage, six dancers, Rokia Traoré and a musician come together to create a unified performance, in which the dance draws on the voice, rhythms and silences. Blending covers and original compositions, Mandinka heritage and contemporary creation, *Feeling Good* resonates in the present with a message of freedom, resistance and emancipation.
Distribution
Concept and choreography: Salia Sanou
Musical direction and performance (music and vocals): Rokia Traoré
Musical performance: one musician (currently being recruited)
Dance: Ida Faho, Awa Joannais, Elithia Rabenjamina, Ousséni Dabaré (Esprit), Thomas Esnoult-Martinelli and Julien Meslage
Lighting design (in progress)
Costume design: Mathilde Possos
Production
Produced by the Nantes National Choreographic Centre
Co-produced by L’Octogone, Théâtre de Pully (CH), Théâtre de la Ville – Paris, Théâtre d’Orléans – National Theatre, Le Manège de Reims – National Theatre, Le Théâtre – Scène nationale de Saint-Nazaire, Scène 55 – Mougin’s state-subsidised venue for art and creation, Le Théâtre de Nîmes – state-subsidised venue of national interest – art and creation – contemporary dance, La Filature – Scène nationale de Mulhouse, (in progress)
Support from La Libre Usine at Le Lieu Unique – Nantes; L’Atelier de Paris / National Centre for Choreographic Development
