Shihya Peng was born in Taiwan, China, but she lives in Paris. Marco di Nardo was born in Naples, but he lives in Berlin. How do we come together when everything is pushing us apart? How do we perceive one another when soaring walls surround us? What language do we choose? How do we face the mountain of cultural stereotypes? What is this dance of interlacing and junction, of fissure and fusion?

It’s a dance of cat and mouse, a dance exploring antagonistic forces. Here, bodies flirt with irony - a desire for joy, a desire for melancholy. Shihya Peng and Marco Di Nardo’s bodies transform into two distorted mirrors – uncovering more about ourselves than we thought we knew. They carry each other, fly, fall, exasperate each other, then get up and walk together. W.A.M. is like a hidden fable, a secret story– a dance of universal scope – performed in sequences and accompanied with flashes of text by Fabrice Melquiot (who collaborated on the rewrite and dramaturgy). With each move, jump or chase, the two dancers search for a childhood memory, a country to live in together, or to live in with others. A dance of combat in search of harmony.

With humor, W.A.M. speaks to the young and to the less young. It questions our inner multiple identities and the way they are jostled by others

Under the direction of internationally renowned choreographers Honji Wang and Sébastien Ramirez, Wang Ramirez Company produces dance-theater pieces that splice together genres as divergent as hip-hop, ballet, contemporary dance and martial arts. The company’s unique choreographic language – with means of expression built on technical virtuosity, poetry and humour – has been recognized with numerous awards such as two New York Bessie Award recognitions and a 1st and Special Audience Award at the International Contemporary Dance Competition in Hannover.

Wang Ramirez are regularly invited to collaborate with renowned artists from the dance world (Akram Khan, Rocio Molina, New York City Ballet’s prima ballerina Sara Mearns...), visual arts (Constance Guisset, Os Gêmeos, Andy Serkis, Hussein Chalayan...) or music world (Madonna, Nitin Sawhney...).

Honji Wang and Sébastien Ramirez regularly work on commissions for several opera houses: in 2016, Sadler’s Well entrusted them with the creation of a hybrid piece of musical dance- theatre based on Nitin Sawhney’s entire album Dystopian Dream.

They are continuing this experience with the GötebergsOperans Danskomponi, which will offer them a creation for the contemporary dance company of the Göteborg Opera (2019). The piece named ‘Au Revoir’ will premiere in March 2020 and be streamed in September 2020...

In 2021, the director of the Ballet du Capitole Kader Belarbi invites them to create a piece for the ballet as part of the Picasso and dance Cycle - Toiles Etoiles - based on L’après midi d’un faune (6 performances in 2022, February at the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse).

Wang Ramirez company has produced more than 9 critically acclaimed works, including MONCHICHI (2010), BORDERLINE (2013), EVERYNESS (2016), N°1 (2017) and W.A.M. (2018).

These shows have been performed in many cities in Europe, Asia and America. Two new creations are borned in 2021 : PARTS (Premiere at Torino danza festival in 2021, September 2021) and YOUME with Sara Jimenez, Kalli Tarasidou and Elsa Guiet on cello (Premiere at Oriente Occidente Festival in Rovereto, 2021, September).

 

She has been dancing since the age of 8 in a variety of styles. Trained in Taiwan in classical, contemporary and traditional Chinese dance, in 2009 she was awarded a scholarship to continue her studies in the United States, where she obtained her Master’s degree from the University of Utah’s Department of Modern Dance (modern and contemporary dance). She moved to France in 2012, eager to develop her dance and technique in a variety of projects.

Over the course of her career, she has collaborated with Honji Wang and Sébastien Ramirez, François Chaignaud and Cecilia Bengolea, Collectif (LA) HORDE, Barbara Matijevic and Giuseppe Chico, River Lin, Karine Saporta, James Carlès, Julien Lestel, Chantal Loïal, Théâtre du Châtelet, Opéra de Marseille.

In 2020, she created RainDrops for 20 dancers at Taipei University (Taiwan) with composer Alexandre Bouvier.

Since 2022, she has been a member of the Troupe de l’Imaginaire at the Théâtre de la Ville de Paris, and dances as part of a «poetic consultation» with hospital patients. She also works as a dance teacher for Cie BurnOut in several Parisian high schools, and as a dancer in actions carried out in EPHADs in the Ile-de- France region with the Evénement Ciel association.

 

He was born in Naples (IT) where he started his dance career in 2003, dancing in the bboying scene of Naples, winning many national and international prices with DBR Crew. His theatre career began working with Vittorio Toraldo Company, Laboratories Flegrei e Peppe Barra in Italy. In 2014 he become one of the co- founders of the Berlin collective « Frantics Dance Company, where he is part of the dance assemble and one of the 4 Artistic Directors. He worked with: Panorama Dance Theather (CH), Southpaw Dance Co (UK), Theather Sthral Berlin (DE). Currently, he is working as a dancer and Assistant Choreographer at Cie Wang Ramirez and as Assistant Choreographer at Staatstheather Braunschweig.

He directed and choreographed at TANZWERK101- HF ZUB Zurich, Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts in Tilburg, Oliva Contemporary Dance Project, Verona.

He has worked as guest teacher at: CCN Ballet Preljocaj - Pavillon Noir, Staatstheater Kassel, Staatstheater Gorlitz, Staatstheater Braunschweig, Krakowskie Centrum Choreograficzne, A_Space Dance Studio Taipei, NunOff Barcelona, Contemporary Dance School Hamburg, Maison De La Danse Lyon, School of Performing Arts Malta, Dance Days Chania 2018-2019, DAF Facoltà di arti della danza Roma, Dublin Dance Festival 2019, HENNY JURRIËNS STUDIO Amsterdam, XI International Contemporary Workshop Praga 2019, ect.

Artistic direction, conception, choreography: Honji Wang & Sébastien Ramirez

With: Marco Di Nardo and Shihya Peng

Text adaptation and actor direction: Fabrice Melquiot Original dramaturgy: Vincent Rafis

Composition: Ilia Koutchoukov aka Everydayz /+∞ Light design: Cyril Mulon

Set design: Ida Ravn

Costumes: Honji Wang

Additional music: Bachar Mar-Khalifé/Balcoon, Carlos Gardel, Alva Noto, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Arrangement: Fabien Biron

Voice recording and sound arrangement: Clément Aubry

Stage Manager: Guillaume Giraudo

Executive Production: Company Wang Ramirez, Clash66

Administration : Corinne Aden

Technical Management: Cyril Mulo

Co-production

Théâtre de la Ville, Paris Scène Nationale d’Albi

We are Monchichi received co-production support in the frame of the European Creative Pole - DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / Pôle Danse de Lyon (Biennale de la Danse + Maison de la Danse), as well as a creation residency in Lyon.

Creation Residencies

Théâtre de l’Archipel, scène nationale de Perpignan La Villette / artist residencies

Théâtre de la Ville / Les Abbesses

Support

Regional Cultural Affairs Directorate Occitanie Regional council Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée County council Pyrénées Orientales

 

The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations, coinciding with the hosting of the Paris Olympic Games in France. This year, Breaking will officially debut as one of the competitive events at the Paris Olympics. To share this festive mood, Shanghai International Dance Center Theater has specially planned the "French Breaking Season" to present with our audience the innovative contemporary Breaking workpieces from France, the exploration of new forms of physical expression in fusion with Breaking and modern dance, the practice and breakthrough of breakdance in contemporary art. (The French Breaking Season is also included in the Festival Croisements 2024.)

 

Street dance in France is of no doubt a leading culture, and Breaking, as one of its signatures, has reached new heights from its original street culture. By absorbing and experimenting with elements from modern dance, it has been digging up new possibilities and increasingly gaining popularity among the masses.

 

From May 24th to June 3rd, within a short span of 11 days, SIDCT will present three distinctly styled French Breaking works, DOS AU MUR, Exit, and We Are Monchichi. Additionally, there will be Breaking workshops, lectures, and free open days. With the opening of French Breaking Season, we applaud the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations and share the exciting mood of the Paris Olympic Games.

 

The French Breaking Season is hosted by Shanghai International Dance Center Theater and supported by the Cultural Department of the Consulate General of France in Shanghai and Cypress Garden Hotel Shanghai.