“Tension is the word that really defines every aspect of the performance,” Dahkan shares. “The good news is that this tension builds toward something, and in the final moments of the performance, it all releases.”

Tension in silence

While Dahkan now splits his time between Morrocco and France, he grew up in Tangier. The performer adds that Tangier’s persona as “the closest African city to Europe” and a “gateway to Africa” informed its transit nature. For him, it is not just people who pass through; stories of both failure and hope also make their way through the city.

“Growing up in Tangier meant navigating that complex landscape of imposed desire,” he shares. “At some point, I found myself wanting the same things everyone else around me wanted, without fully knowing why.”

That desire then soured into frustration. Dahkan recalls witnessing his colleagues in a constant state of waiting, as if their lives and careers would only start after their feet have touched the other side of the Mediterranean.

“SUBJECT TO was born out of those feelings, those frustrations and questions,” the performer shares. “That’s why I call it an intimate solo performance, and why tension is its core element.”

As he was working on the piece, Dahkan visited viewpoints in Tangier where people were often found staring out at the sea. These observations led to a focus on silence.

“There’s something ritualistic about the way they position themselves, facing the water, in total silence,” he reflects. “A silence that’s both physical and sonic.”

Through research, Dahkan discovered that this silent contemplation had also been used as a form of protest. He notes how groups would assemble at the city’s highest point, sitting silently with their eyes gazing in the same direction.

“No slogans, no noise, nothing that could justify repression,” the performer says of these protests. “It was peaceful, too peaceful, and that was the strength.”

Most of SUBJECT TO is a silent performance, allowing the audience to witness and appreciate this strength and tension. Deeply inspired by these silent protests, Dahkan is interested in further exploring “other alternative expressions of dissent,” particularly those rooted in tradition, ritual and community.

Supporting young artists

Dahkan has been dancing for nearly 16 years, professionally for eight years. Describing himself as a “hyperactive kid,” he recalls being attracted to movement. After his cousins brought him to their rehearsal space, he began to search for his own movements – his superpower.

“As the door opened, the first two things I saw were a guy spinning on his head and another doing these one-arm hops,” he recalls of his cousins’ dance training. “The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘They have superpowers.’”

The performer started with breakdance, participating in battles and competitions. He has been focusing on contemporary and other dance forms for the past five years. In 2019, Dahkan established Jil Z, which in Arabic, means “Generation Z.” True to its name, the company’s goal is to support young dancers.

“The company emerged as a response to the lack of dance companies in northern Morocco, especially in my city Tangier,” the dancer says. “[Jil Z] is created by, run by, and made for the younger generation.”

In addition to creating performances, the company organizes workshops and leads their young dancers through incubator programs. Although the process requires “more patience, more listening,” Dahkan is happy with the decision to work with emerging dancers. This openness is also reflected in his response to audience feedback for SUBJECT TO.

“People often leave with questions, with a need to process what just happened,” he shares about the performance’s final moments where tension is released. “And I love that.”

The 37th annual DOTE – Canada’s longest-running contemporary dance festival – takes place June 12 to 21 and features both Canadian and international artists.

For more information on DOTE, see www.dancingontheedge.org

For more information on Mehdi Dahkan, see www.mehdidahkan.com