MILLE ET UNE NUITS

ONE THOUSAND & ONE NIGHTS

A place emerges, holding us as a whole at the same time as many intimate, social, political fragments.
An affective landscape envelops us in the skin of a futuristic fantasy awaiting a belated renaissance.
A place where we are not just political concepts, but emotional landscapes that slowly morphs those they look at. Where the skin is as thick as a body itself and as fragile as the liminal of two voices. Where our bodies of rage - our transformative power-create a substance of tear, sweat and voice to quench the earth's thirst.
 

Iranian choreographer Sorour Darabi, who has lived in France since 2013, unveils their first opera—a strolling show that gives space to the voices that ancient myths have marginalized. This piece is created by and for committed bodies.

The origins of "Mille et Une Nuits" lie in Sorour Darabi's observation of the conservative nature of opera, where neither diverse bodies nor the expression of non-standard sexuality exist. However, opera, as a total art form, is also the ideal medium for extending his work, which embraces dance, theater, visual arts, song, and poetry. The result is a project that explores the aesthetics of the transgender voice. For most trans people, hormonal treatments lead to a transformation of the voice, affecting the placement of sound in the vocal cords. It is this fragility and emotional texture that "Mille et Une Nuits" embodies, standing in contrast to normative technical perfection. This is an opera for the 21st century—emancipating and a mouthpiece for different aesthetics and ways of thinking, aiming to build a different relationship with the world.

Choreography, conception, dramaturgy, texts and artistic direction 
SOROUR DARABI
Performers, singers, actors and live musicians 
AIMILIOS ARAPOGLOU, LI-YUN HU, LARA CHANEL, FELIPE FARIA, SOROUR DARABI, PABLO ALTAR, FLORIAN LE PRISÉ & ANGE HALLIWELL
Music composition
PABLO ALTAR & FLORIAN LE PRISÉ
Vocal coach 
HENRY BROWNE
Light design
SHALY LOPEZ
Technical Direction
JEAN-MARC SÉGALEN
Set design
ALICIA ZATON based on an original idea by Sorour Darabi 
Ice Sculptures
SAMUEL GIRAULT / ICE & ART
Costume design
ANOUSHA MOHTASHAMI
Text editor and English-Persian Curator  (POETIC SOCIETIES, Crafted Counsel Remote Residency Program)
AVA ANSARI
Production/ Tour Manager 
JENNY SUAREZ
Administration Manager
MARTIN BUISSON
Exclusive Production DEEPDAWN / Sorour Darabi

COPRODUCTION
Festival Montpellier Danse, CCN Ballet national de Marseille as part of the “accueil studio” program / Ministère de la Culture, Arsenic - Centre d'art scénique contemporain,  Initiatives d'Artistes - La Villette, CND Centre national de la danse, Tanzquartier Wien GmbH, Fonds franco-allemand Transfabrik pour le spectacle vivant, Charleroi danse - Centre chorégraphique de la Fédération Wallonie - Bruxelles, Festival d'Automne à Paris.
With the support of Drac Île-de-France - Ministère de la Culture.

SUPPORT OF
La Manutention du Palais de Tokyo (Paris), CN D Centre national de la danse (Pantin), Trauma Bar und Kino (Berlin); Tanzhaus Zürich (Zürich), PACT Zollverein (Essen), KWP Kunstenwerkplaats (Brussels), The Saison Foundation (Tokyo) & POETIC SOCIETIES (Detroit).

TOUR SCHEDULE

JUN 28-30.2024 - Festival Montpellier Danse - Montpellier - (PREMIERE) - FR

SEP 19-22.2024 - Arsenic- Centre d'art scénique  contemporain - CH

OCT 16-19.2024 - Festival d'Automne à Paris  - La Villette, CN D de Pantin - FR

NOV 8-9.2024 - Tanzquartier Wien - Vienna - AT

APR 5-6.2025 - Teatros Del Canal - Madrid - ES