Nidāl [dedans-dehors]

Within the prison environment—through many hours of practice and rehearsal, as well as just as many exchanges and moments of doubt—the group gradually forged a collective bond, and the premiere of Nidāl took place at Vis-à-vis, the only event devoted to artistic creation in a penitentiary context. Inspired by the Arabic word nidāl (نضال), the piece evokes both outward struggle—conflict, resistance—and the inner struggle one wages against oneself. It is this dual, spiritual and physical dimension that has shaped the work.

Set to a musical composition by Arsène Magnard, the dancer and stunt performer Elias Ardoin, together with six performers, explores through movement the tensions between collapse and elevation, anger and appeasement. What emerges is a path toward transformation, in which confrontation becomes a space for listening and reconstruction. Nidāl [dedans-dehors] offers a journey through body and mind—a search for wisdom and reconciliation with oneself and with others—and invites us to move beyond clichés.