🔗 Share this article

Whenever a person implies that Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is a busy man, he nearly cringes. “Whenever I hear, ‘Your output is immense,’ I cringe,” he shares. Leading a major European cultural institution and simultaneously managing his personal ensemble in Antwerp, Cherkaoui is also a creator within experimental movement and a choreographer in cinema, musicals, mainstream performers.

A Highly Active Season

In the coming months, nine separate pieces of Cherkaoui’s are showing around the world. Featured among these is a collaborative work co-choreographed with artist Marc Brew, that delves into the automotive crash which resulted in Brew’s paralysis. “Possibly the production I’m most proud of,” Cherkaoui says. Also premiering his work called Chez Moi, representing its UK debut.

About Profession and Identity

When questioned about how many nights he remains in his residence, he deflects gently. “Is that important?” he responds, wary of contemporary culture’s habit to equate busyness with worth. “Each person is diligent,” he notes. “My mother worked harder than I’m working. Children are not part of my life, I can’t prepare meals. I don’t know how to drive. I simply create, you know, and that defines me. My personal and professional spheres are intertwined.”

Collaborations and Inspirations

Partnering with figures like Madonna does not drain him, he clarifies. As he was an ardent admirer, he had studied each piece of music. “It felt as if my whole life I had immersed myself in her art.” He describes her as exhilarating and brutally honest. “She is unparalleled in authenticity I have worked with. She truly does not care.”

Exploring Identity

In pieces including his collaboration with Akram Khan and “Sutra”, he has consistently explored themes of selfhood and cultural diversity. His newest piece, Chez Moi, examines again these ideas, highlighting his regional origins. Belgium remains a place characterized by ongoing tensions between Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. The choreographer grew up in his birthplace, but spoke the French language domestically, contributing to his identity as an outsider.

He characterizes Flanders as clinging to its past similar to valuables stashed in an attic. “People want to have a glorious history,” he notes. “But deep down, the country, particularly the north, we functioned as expansionist regimes. We experienced a very ugly past.” Through this work, he intends to face the pain. “The outcome may feel excessive, possibly lengthy, might be unnerving, but I don’t care. Because for me, it truly concerns subjects I feel compelled to tackle before I die.”

The Paradox of Invention

The artist maintains that theatrical settings can be an arena to engage with challenging facts. “Working in the arts, what’s intriguing is we fabricate. We imagine narratives. But deep down, I feel we expose much.”

Multinational Team and Varied Outlooks

For Vlaemsch, while the creative team are all Flemish, the performers comes from around the world, featuring talents from Japan, America, Congo. He desires that they contribute “a truthful portrayal regarding the region.” He adds on the concept of people disagreeing as a constant for humanity. What fascinates him is the “cultural perspectives” that individuals from different places use to analyze their surroundings.

Returning to Roots

Vlaemsch represents a homecoming for Cherkaoui. Earlier in his career, he often explored foreign cultures, be it journeying to other countries for creative fuel. “I avoided confronting my background,” he reveals. “Those were youthful fascinations yet they did not represent truly part of my identity.” What prompted this avoidance? “Since I believed the world was so interesting, and abroad was the place feel alive,” he explains. “I believe my environment was not an atmosphere in which I could survive. As a queer, white Arab, all aspects of my being was problematic for my environment.”

Early Influences and Artistic Beginnings

Cherkaoui’s parents came together dancing, and he believes his path to dance as a result of their relationship. Yet, his parent prohibited him from pursuing dance. His initial inspirations included music stars Beyoncé, who could to sing challenging topics strongly shaped his outlook. He argues that mainstream art is often underestimated because of its directness, however, he views significant merit in its honesty.

Overcoming Obstacles

Interestingly, it was a educator who encouraged him as a youth to pursue art. After his parents’ divorce, he took up movement in his mid-teens. Even though he was informed it was too late to become a professional, he kept going, exploring multiple techniques of movement. Eventually, he served as leader of Royal Ballet Flanders for seven years.

Legacy and Vocation

Through making a companion piece, he found out that his parent had originally been a musician and performer back in Morocco, however after moving in Europe, people disregarded his skills. From his father, he recognizes he got his artistic passion. Through his mom, {he gained|he