Contemporary Dance Masterclass

A choreographer, dancer and teacher, Fouad Boussouf first studied hip-hop (his favourite technique) before developing an interest in other practices, notably contemporary dance. He seeks to blend contemporary and hip-hop dance into a specific core vocabulary, which remains the central tenet of his career.   

 His experience dancing with others and his complex journey have led him to a modern form of research in which hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, traditional dances of Africa and new circus combine into a diverse vocabulary for his creations. Layering styles, rhythms and different practices, his work is about sharing and transmitting emotions, relying on technical mastery, the unending expressivity of dance and our diverse blended culture. 

 Boussouf is also fully committed to the communication of dance, as a long-time passionate teacher, including projects which include amateur and up-and-coming dancers and professionals.   

 He is the Director of Le Phare – National Choreographic Center of Le Havre Normandie. He is developing his mission project, Enchanting the Every Day, touring his repertory pieces locally and internationally and establishing important projects with amateur dancers in public spaces.  

He has also created the event Plein Phare in Normandy, which includes twenty companies from all different sectors, start-ups or established, showing dance in its true diversity of shapes and aesthetics. In November 2022, during the first edition of Plein Phare, he premiered two duos, Âmes and Cordes. In September 2023, he will present Feu (Fire), his new work for eleven female dancers, at the prestigious Dance Biennale in Lyon.   

Throughout his career, Boussouf has received several commissions and invitations to collaborate. Per Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s invitation, he will create a new work, Vïa, for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre in Geneva. Boussouf is also an Associated Artist at the Maison de la Musique in Nanterre, a nationally subsidized theatre.

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Hailing from Vitry-sur-Seine (the south of Paris), Yanice Djae discovered dance during middle school. He trained in hip-hop and contemporary dance at the Écoles Municipales Artistiques in his hometown. During this period, he met Fouad Boussouf, and several choreographic competitions led by Boussouf added to his experience as a dancer. In 2018, he continued his collaboration with Boussouf and participated in creating Näss, hosted at the Festival of d’Avignon the following year. This work keeps touring in France and abroad, with over a hundred performances to its credit. In 2021, he reunited with Sébastien Vague to create the duo Yës by Boussouf, also touring France and abroad. Djae also works with the Hylel / Marina Gomes company and frequently intervenes with amateur audiences to run workshops linked to his experience as an artist. 

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