Even as a child, Dalila Belaza did not dance; she listened. The storytelling passed down through oral tradition within her family continues to fuel her imagination. And these stories come to life on stage. Her dance is neither a means of seduction, nor a factory of spectacular images, nor an escape valve, but rather a mystery in motion, entirely oriented toward listening, giving substance to the invisible and the restless, to what exists within oneself. By turning her gaze inward, Dalila Belaza works with the body’s deep memories, transforming intimacy into a universe to be discovered.

The show Orage, which the Franco-Algerian dancer and choreographer Dalila Belaza will bring to the CAM Studio, will be presented on April 30, as part of Transborda – Almada International Performing Arts Festival, which from April 29 (World Dance Day) to May 23 brings shows, labs, workshops, and performances to Lisbon and Almada.

Dalila Belaza was, along with Moroccan Bouchra Ouizguen, Portuguese Catarina Miranda, Anglo-Rwandan Dorothée Munyaneza, and Mozambican Idio Chichava, a finalist in the first edition of the Salavisa European Dance Award (SEDA) in 2024.

Image: © Tanja Kernweiss for Haus der Kunst