In 2021, I was invited by the Centre chorégraphique Multicorps in Cotonou, Benin, to lead a residency introducing dancers to digital tools in contemporary choreography. This artistic and educational residency aimed to explore how technology can expand movement language, while remaining rooted in the local context.
The work unfolded as a space between workshop and creation. Over several days, we explored the expressive potential of spatial sound, generative visuals, and immersive scenography. The process culminated in the creation of a public performance prototype, designed as an urban artistic intervention.
The piece was staged outdoors, on sandy ground, in a neighborhood with limited access to art. A central physical structure acted as a shared platform for the dancers. Around it, we deployed a blend of projected visuals, spatialized sound, fog, and light, forming a temporary immersive space open to all.
Importantly, the performance became a moment of connection. Families came out of their homes, children gathered around, and the street itself became part of the experience. By performing in this context, the project embraced a community-based approach, where art meets daily life, without barriers.
This residency reaffirmed something essential for me: hybrid performance doesn’t belong only in theaters. On the contrary, it finds renewed meaning when it resonates within public space, in direct contact with people and place. Here, it served as a bridge — between art and community, between technology and the body, and between the everyday and the imaginary.
