Mazelfreten Rave Lucid

Cutting their teeth in dance battles with electro and hip-hop skills respectively, dancers Brandon Masele and Laura Defretin started their company MazelFreten in 2016. In perfect harmony, as the company’s name suggests, the duo creates dance pieces for the stage at the intersection of their individual styles with the aim of bringing a wider audience to electro and hip-hop dance.

The third piece in the repertoire of MazelFreten, “Rave Lucid” focuses specifically on electro. Highly energetic, dialed into the throbs of electronic beats, this dance – which should not be confused with the very short-lived and commercial Tektonik – is specifically defined by fast and graphic movements. It grew in France in the early 2000s, initially in the clubs of Paris, and later ballooned across the country and beyond, through the Internet.

“To show the scale and wealth of the only urban dance in France with a worldwide influence, that’s what this piece is about”, says Brandon Masele. Utilizing the codes and techniques of electro dance, he and Laura Defretin have developed a specific choreographic language to craft a group piece that captures the essence and spirit of partying while stepping back. A lucid rave.

Propelled by hypnotic music, this fervent ode enlists 10 Eboï and Equeenz (male and female dancers) of staggering nimbleness. The result is an ultra-contemporary fluttering ballet, equally galvanizing and explosive, and positively exhilarating.

Jérôme Provençal

Spontanée, engagée et viscérale, telle est la dernière création de la compagnie Mazelfreten. Agnès Izrine, La Terrasse → Lire l'article

Entre la fête qui flirte avec la transe et la « lucidité » de cette rave induite par l’adjectif anglais, le couple de danseurs et chorégraphes, issue du hip-hop pour la première et de l’électro pour le second, dessine une voie dynamique et originale. Rosita Boisseau, Télérama