Downtime with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

Belgian/Moroccan Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is one of the world’s most sought after  choreographers. He’s made over 50 shows, works in contemporary dance, ballet, film and theatre and has picked up a frankly embarrassing haul of awards.

Collaborators include Antony Gormley, Damien Jalet, Marina Abramovic and Beyonce – to name but a few.

I worked with Larbi and Gormley on Sutra, and with Larbi and Damien Jalet on the Olivier Award winning Babel (words) around 2008 – 2010.

As well as running his own company Eastman, since 2015 he has been the Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders.

Conversations with Larbi are always extremely free-flowing. Here our wide-ranging chat covers his experience of Covid-19 as a person, a choreographer and the AD of Ballet Vlanderen, as well as how the intimacy of his practice has evolved in response to both his position as a leader, and an awareness engendered by the #MeToo movement.

I popped up on his screen while he was at home in Antwerp in late May 2020.

Enjoy!