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When someone proposes that Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is a busy man, he almost winces. “Whenever I hear, ‘Your output is immense,’ I cringe,” he admits. Leading Switzerland’s largest stage and simultaneously heading the Eastman group based in his hometown, the choreographer additionally a visionary within experimental movement and dance designer in cinema, theatrical productions, popular music stars.

A Highly Active Season

This autumn, nine separate pieces of Cherkaoui’s will be staged around the world. Featured among these are “An Accident/A Life” created alongside dancer Marc Brew, focusing on the car accident that caused Brew’s disability. “It is perhaps the production that means the most to me,” Cherkaoui says. Making its debut his work called Chez Moi, signaling its premiere in London.

On Work and Life

If someone inquires regarding the number of evenings he remains in his residence, the artist hesitates. “Why would that be relevant?” he responds, skeptical of contemporary culture’s habit to equate busyness with worth. “Everyone is putting in effort,” he notes. “My mother worked harder than I’m working. I don’t have kids, I don’t know how to cook. I don’t know how to drive. I simply create, as it were, and that is my purpose. My personal and professional spheres are inseparable.”

Partnerships and Influences

Collaborating alongside artists including Madonna is not exhausting for him, Cherkaoui explains. Having been an ardent admirer, he knew every lyric. “It was similar to my entire existence I had immersed myself in her art.” He describes her as exhilarating and unapologetically real. “No one is more truthful I’ve known. She is utterly fearless.”

Delving Into Selfhood

In works like the performance with Khan and the work with Antony Gormley, he has consistently investigated ideas around identity and multiculturalism. The recent production, Vlaemsch, returns to these concepts, centering on his regional origins. The nation remains a place with deep divisions the northern region and French-speaking Wallonia. He was raised in a Flemish city, yet used his mother’s tongue, intensifying his feeling of not belonging.

He explains Flanders as preserving its legacy similar to valuables stashed in an attic. “People want to have a rich past,” he notes. “However, underneath, Belgium, particularly the north, we have been expansionist regimes. We have had a very ugly past.” Through this work, he intends to face the pain. “The result could be overwhelming, perhaps overlong, may unsettle viewers, but I don’t care. As, in my view, it truly concerns topics I must explore before I die.”

The Paradox of Invention

Cherkaoui believes that theatrical settings may serve as a place to confront hard realities. “As artists, the funny thing is we invent. We create fiction. However, intrinsically, I think we expose much.”

International Cast and Cultural Lenses

In this production, although the designers are all Flemish, the cast comes from around the world, including artists from various countries. The choreographer intends that they contribute “a genuine perspective regarding the region.” He adds on the notion of conflicting viewpoints as a constant among people. What fascinates him involves the “cultural perspectives” that individuals from different places use to analyze reality.

Coming Back Home

This work signifies a homecoming to the artist’s origins. In the past, he frequently traveled abroad, whether visiting Japanese communities for artistic ideas. “I avoided confronting from where I come from,” he confesses. “These were early interests yet they did not represent fundamentally my own heritage.” What prompted this avoidance? “Since I believed the world was so interesting, and elsewhere I could find freedom,” he shares. “I believe my origins was not an atmosphere that supported my identity. Given my multifaceted identity, everything about me was challenging in that setting.”

Early Influences and Artistic Beginnings

Cherkaoui’s parents met on a dancefloor, and he is convinced he became a dancer due to their relationship. Yet, his parent forbade him from dancing. His initial inspirations featured artists like Kate Bush, whose ability to perform about difficult subjects greatly inspired him. He states that pop music is often underestimated because of its accessibility, yet he sees significant merit in its honesty.

Defying Expectations

Ultimately, it was an English teacher that motivated him as a youth to follow his passion. Following his family’s split, he began dancing in his mid-teens. Despite being told it was too late to pursue a career, he persisted, studying every form of performance. Ironically, he served as leader for a major dance company for an extended period.

Legacy and Vocation

Through making a companion piece, Cherkaoui discovered that his dad was once a trumpet player and actor in his homeland, however when he immigrated in Europe, no one valued his abilities. Inherited from his dad, Cherkaoui realizes he got his creative drive. From his mother, {he gained|he