A Look Back on the Residency of Bouziane and Magda

Choreographer and cultural activist Bouziane Bouteldja and deputy director and cultural activist Magda Bacha came to Miami in Spring 2025 to explore how dance can be used as a tool of resistance.

• Could you tell us what was the focus of your residency and why you chose Miami?

Magda and I have been working for years on the subject of art as a means of emancipation and of combating violence and discrimination. We use dance, specifically, to engage with people living in working-class neighborhoods and rural areas. Given the current situation in France and Europe, we felt that it would be relevant to look at how the LGBTQIA+ community uses art, and voguing in particular, to continue to exist and resist.

We also wanted to meet with hip-hop communities as well as artists, students, and teachers working on these issues.

We chose Miami to learn from the experience of local artists and dancers, and to share our own.

• How has engaging in Florida’s cultural environment surprised or challenged you?

Before arriving in Miami, we had already made some contacts, which allowed us to interact with universities, students, artistic organizations, exhibition venues, and associations. This enabled us to forge links with many cultural actors, put on shows, organize workshops, and engage in dialogue on (sometimes) sensitive topics.

The main challenge was getting in touch with certain groups and communities. Unlike in France, there is much less convergence between struggles here: each community seems to fight its own battle independently.

Furthermore, we were unable to meet any hip-hop dancers, which was a first for me. In all my research trips around the world, I have always had the opportunity to talk to hip-hop dancers.

On the other hand, we were very impressed by the commitment of the people we met. They were deeply invested in their causes and in the fight against violence. I was also struck by the enthusiasm of the young people during the workshops and performances: many gave the impression that they were discovering dance for the first time, which is much rarer in France. It was the same with the students: you could sense that they were entering a new world, discovering hip-hop, Afro dance, and other forms of choreography, a situation I have rarely observed elsewhere.

Overall, I would say that we encountered some difficulties in establishing relationships at the beginning, but that the people we ultimately worked with were extremely motivated and committed to their causes.

• How do you think this experience will influence your work?

I met artists who were a great source of inspiration. It was very stimulating, because it made us want to do even more. In Florida, we saw artists accomplishing remarkable work, often with very limited resources.

We were also deeply touched by the welcome we received: always without apprehension, with a genuine thirst for learning, without judgment or barriers, but with a natural acceptance and open-mindedness, something that is less evident in France.

What saddened us, however, was to see that in Miami, one of the largest cities in the United States, it remains difficult for an artist, and especially a dancer, to find their place and make a living. Certain communities, for example, struggle to organize events in visible venues and often must hide away in out-of-the-way spaces to perform.

This experience made me want to talk about it, share it, and raise awareness among the public, especially young people, about the importance of getting involved in the fight against discrimination, regardless of gender or origin.