Shake La Rochelle

ℹ️ Festival inactive. Shake, La Rochelle's hip hop dance and urban cultures festival, no longer seems to be held since the end of its founder Kader Attou's mandate at the head of the Centre Chorégraphique National de La Rochelle. The last publicly documented edition was the 5th, in November 2021. Since January 2022, the Centre Chorégraphique National has been directed by Olivia Grandville under the name Mille Plateaux, with an artistic orientation refocused on contemporary dance, transmission, and residencies; no new edition of Shake has been announced since. This page is kept for archival purposes.

The urban cultures festival

Created in 2016 by Kader Attou, Shake had become a significant event for urban cultures in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. For three weeks in November, the festival welcomed up to over 8,000 festival-goers to celebrate hip hop dance, visual arts, theatre, music, and cinema, in an intergenerational and nomadic dynamic, investing numerous venues throughout the city.

Dance and shows

The festival presented choreographic creations by French and international hip hop companies, dance battles, performances, and shows blending dance, theatre, and visual arts. Its program explored all facets of contemporary urban dance and notably hosted emblematic pieces such as «Danser Casa» by Kader Attou and Mourad Merzouki.

Transmission and sharing

Shake also offered workshops, masterclasses (Heures de la danse), and meetings to foster transmission and exchange. The festival was a space for dialogue and expression where artists and the public met around urban cultures, with a festive finale each year at La Sirène.