Compagnie Käfig

This performance took place August 23–27, 2023.

Acclaimed French hip hop artist Mourad Merzouki founded the Lyon-based Compagnie Käfig at the startling crossroads of modern and contemporary dance, circus, martial arts, video, live music, and hip hop. Named for the Arabic and German term for “cage,” this high-flying company is anything but tied down, pushing the boundaries of hip hop while never losing sight of its roots.

At Jacob’s Pillow, the company performed their signature work Pixel, a wondrous merging of virtuosic dance and technology created by Merzouki in collaboration with Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne. Seen by audiences in more than 30 countries around the world, the show explodes into a 3D world of captivating digital light and video projections, which accompany dancers’ movements. The piece aims to strike a subtle balance between the real and the virtual world, and between energy and poetry, resulting in a performance infused with a multitude of art forms.

Watch this short trailer from our friends at The Kennedy Center:

All performances by Compagnie Käfig were preceded by a free 15-minute Pre-Show Talk led by Pillow Scholars-in-Residence, held in Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before showtime. A free Post-Show Talk with the artists followed the Friday matinee performance.

Watch Compagnie Käfig on Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive:

• Dix Versions from 2001 
• Correria from 2012
• AGWA from 2013

The performances of “Pixel” by Compagnie Käfig-Mourad Merzouki were part of the Albertine Dance Season and received support from Villa Albertine.

This program was supported in part by the Neil Chrisman Fund for International Dance.