BLACK

A body walks onto the stage. Wounded and triumphant. In BLACK, the debut of choreographer and dancer Oulouy, personal and collective stories about what it means to be Black today merge into one. Born in Ivory Coast and active worldwide, he translates his experiences into a powerful physical language carried by street dance styles such as Coupé-Décalé, Ndomboló, Afrohouse and Krump. 

BLACK reflects on violence and emancipation, on a body that grates and unsettles but with grace and celebration. Without artifice but full of restraint and symbolism, Oulouy references the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the murder of George Floyd and a body that wants to be seen differently in the western world. 

A visual and corporeal chronicle. Protest, grief and celebration in one. 

Oulouy was born in Ivory Coast and is based in Spain. As a choreographer, dancer and artistic director he works from the rich tradition of African street dance. His work BLACK (2020) reflects on violence and the emancipation of Black bodies; Afrikan Party (2022) is a futuristic ode to Africa. 

This year he has been selected as an Aerowaves25 artist. He also won the Catalan Prize for Best Choreography, his work is held in the archive of the New York Public Library and he has performed in venues from New York to Oslo. And this year he comes to Noorderzon. An important artist you absolutely do not want to miss.