Mourad Merzouki
Mourad Merzouki is a French dancer and choreographer. His artistic path began in the 1990s with the fusion of martial arts, circus techniques, and hip-hop culture — a combination that shaped his unmistakable choreographic signature.
A turning point in Merzouki’s career came with the resounding success of Athina at the Lyon Biennale in 1994. The production proved that his synthetic theatrical form — bringing together dance, visual art, and music — fully belonged on the stages of major academic venues.
In 1996, Merzouki founded his own dance company, Käfig — that means "cage" in both Arabic and German, symbolizing his protest against any form of creative constraint.
Today, Merzouki is regarded as a true architect of the contemporary dance ecosystem. He has founded the Pôle Pik choreographic center as well as the Karavel and Kalypso festivals, and for over a decade served as Artistic Director of the National Choreographic Centre of Créteil, following his core principle: "Dance is a window to the world."
A turning point in Merzouki’s career came with the resounding success of Athina at the Lyon Biennale in 1994. The production proved that his synthetic theatrical form — bringing together dance, visual art, and music — fully belonged on the stages of major academic venues.
In 1996, Merzouki founded his own dance company, Käfig — that means "cage" in both Arabic and German, symbolizing his protest against any form of creative constraint.
Today, Merzouki is regarded as a true architect of the contemporary dance ecosystem. He has founded the Pôle Pik choreographic center as well as the Karavel and Kalypso festivals, and for over a decade served as Artistic Director of the National Choreographic Centre of Créteil, following his core principle: "Dance is a window to the world."
"Mourad Merzouki is a choreographer who cannot be confined to any single category. He constantly breaks stereotypes and pushes the boundaries of dance in order to make it accessible to the widest possible audience."
— Télérama
"Mourad Merzouki’s true talent lays in the fact that, from one production to the next, he breaks down boundaries, combines choreographic styles, and reveals the full richness and breadth of dance… and the result is truly delightful."
"I could have worked with elderly performers, but for logistical reasons it was difficult. I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to create a piece involving older people. Beauséjour is a kind of first step that will lead me toward working in a different register. However, the very act of transforming professional dancers is meant to give the performance a sense of lightness and displacement — to adopt a humorous, even cartoon-like approach, if you wish…"
"…At the age of fifty, I still feel that dance urges me to carry something beautiful and positive, to invent and to create connections between generations."
"…At the age of fifty, I still feel that dance urges me to carry something beautiful and positive, to invent and to create connections between generations."
In his own words
— Baz’art
Dance Open 2025:
FOLIA
Dance Open 2026:
Beauséjour
FOLIA
Dance Open 2026:
Beauséjour
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