OZ Arts presents Compagnie Käfig’s Pixel, a mind-blowing mix of virtuosic dance and immersive 3D projections on September 6 & 7, 2023. This cutting-edge multimedia performance from France opens the Contemporary Arts Center’s 11th season.
“Pixel has seen immense success around the world, and we are thrilled to bring this bold, cutting-edge performance to Nashville for the first time as we embark on our 11th season of impactful programming,” says Mark Murphy, OZ Arts Executive and Artistic Director. “The company’s inventive fusion of dance and technology makes for a playful, dreamlike experience that is sure to have audience members questioning what is possible in the digital world and reality.”
Founded by renowned choreographer Mourad Merzouki and based in Lyon, Compagnie Käfig is known for blending Hip-hop, contemporary dance and even cirque arts in fresh and surprising ways. In Pixel, 11 outstanding dancers interact with a breathtaking, three-dimensional landscape created by innovative projection mapping. Not merely stage effects, the projections are partners for the performers in an astounding, acrobatic duet that blurs the line between the real and virtual worlds.
A dancer scatters a sea of stars with the sweep of an arm while another entangles herself in a net made of light. Performers leap and dive across digitally created ravines and lakes. With breathtaking choreography by Merzouki, cutting-edge projections by Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne, and an energizing score from Armand Amar, Pixel expands on exciting possibilities at the intersection of performance and technology.
A leading figure in the French Hip-hop scene since the early 1990s, choreographer Mourad Merzouki works at the crossroads of many disciplines including circus, martial arts, visual arts, video, live music and Hip-hop dance. He founded his Compagnie Käfig in 1996 and has since created more than 30 works that have captivated audiences in France and around the world.
Named for the Arabic and German term for “cage,” the high-flying Käfig is anything but tied down, pushing the boundaries of Hip-hop without losing sight of its roots. His creations have been performed in 700 cities and 65 countries. Compagnie Käfig has given more than 4,000 performances to over 2 million spectators. A hundred or so performances around the world rhythm the life of the company each year. For more information, please visit kafig.com/Compagnie-Kafig.
OZ Arts will present Pixel on Wednesday and Thursday, September 6 and 7, at 8:00 p.m. each evening in its expansive warehouse. Seating is general admission, tickets start at $35, and are on sale now at www.ozartsnashville.org/pixel.
And watch this space for my 2023 /24 OZ season preview of these coming events: “Little Amal with choreography by Shabaz Ujima, October 5, a FREE EVENT in Centennial Park; “An Evening with John Cameron Mitchell: A Benefit for the ACLU of Tennessee,” with featured performer Amber Martin, October 20-21; “Fable Cry Festival of Ghouls,” October 28; Rennie Harris Puremovement: Rome & Jewels, November 9-11; “Geoff Sobelle Food” November 30 – December 10; “Shamel Pitts/TRIBE Black Hole: Trilogy & Triathlon” February 2-3; and “Mazelfreten (France) Rave Lucid” February 29 – March 3. To learn more about these upcoming performances now, please visit www.ozartsnashville.org.
