ASTANA – French dance group Ruée des Arts debuted their performance “Costard” at the Astana Ballet Theater on April 9 as part of the Francophone Spring hosted by the Embassy of France in Kazakhstan. The show was staged for the first time in Central Asia.
French dance group Ruée des Arts debuted their performance “Costard” at the Astana Ballet Theater on April 9. Photo credit: Astana Ballet.
Ruée des Arts, led by renowned French choreographer Hafid Sour, came to Kazakhstan with six dancers to explore the world of business attire and success in his dance production “Costard.”
Interaction with people who regularly wear suits led Sour to reflect on social representation and the image of success in society. Combining business with hip-hop street style, his choreography focuses on suits.
According to Sour, his dance troupe creates poetic and fluid motion with original body language through the combination of hip-hop style and dancers’ elegance. A key goal of the production is to reshape conventional business attire codes. According to other dancers, the production illustrates how each individual is affected by the outfit.
Photo credit: Astana Ballet.
“It is a rare opportunity to have dance troupes from France in Kazakhstan. Throughout the play, we learn how people perceive themselves when wearing the attire or outfits. The production’s suit, or ‘Costard,’ is intended to be meaningful for both French and Kazakh audiences, especially those living in the capital, since it plays a significant role in their daily lives,” said Alex Bortolan, an advisor for cultural cooperation at the French embassy in Kazakhstan.
Bortolan also emphasized the significance of the attire, noting that it is meant to show something other than what people usually associate with it.
Photo credit: Astana Ballet.
Dancer Mohamed Mak noted that people in France pursue a career in a more high-profile industry, with people wearing suits daily. This has become a lifestyle for some.
His colleague Aurelien Vaudeyand added that this trend is not limited to France and is seen elsewhere. He noted that the production demonstrates how people react to outfits ranging from disapproval and provocation to acceptance.
