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Risaleh consisted partly out of a training program and partly out of a performance process, that led to the performance in a double bill with a work of Lawand Hajo, choreographer and artistic director of the Syrian company Ramad Dance. The choreographers of Le Grand Cru were inspired by both the archaic and modern character of life they encountered in the capital of Damascus. Like history and present are folding together. Through metaphors the choreographers show personal stories of the dancers in the complexity of modern Arab life.

Risaleh was presented during 400 years of consular relations between the Netherlands and Aleppo. The premiere took place in Aleppo, continued by a performance in the old neighborhood Baptuma in Damascus and had a Dutch tour during the Dancing on the Edge Festival.

“The two choreographies display in a perfect way the mixed feelings of wishing to speak out loud, but not too loud about discontent and satisfaction at the same time. In sounds of water and more there is always the threat of war (toy soldiers crawling hilariously) and the voice of religion beautifully and neutrally displayed by stylized prayer movements on the sounds of water drops the only humans need we all share.”
—Mirjam van der Linden, Volkskrant

Choreography: Noortje Bijvoets, Feri de Geus, Set design: Anas Randawi, Light design: Pink Steenvoorden, Dancers: Sawsan Abo Al Kheir, Amer Al Barzawi, Ali Hadid, Lawand Hajo, Sandy Al Khouri, Diaa Al Sheikh en Jamal Turkmani, Muziek: o.a. Marwan Abado, Nina Simone, Production Syria: Rana Nakhleh, Production NL: Dancing on the Edge. Business Management: Betty Kaan

This production has been realized with the help of the Dutch Embassy in Syria and Fonds Podiumkunsten.