MEET THE ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE: Aurélie Capelle-Sigère from Unity
Aurélie Capelle-Sigère
I have been dancing since my childhood I am a fan of rhythmic music, I grew up in the Afro urban culture American and Caribbean culture because I lived in Martinique. We have always celebrated the holidays with music and dancing. I took hip hop dance lessons at my 16 years old and I continued when I entered the University of Paris 8 Saint Denis, a university that saw the birth of hip hop.
The same if in the 2000s the hip hop movement was no longer in the same effervescence as in the 80s and 90s, there was still a strong imprint in the walls, in the relations between the people.
In any case, hip hop was taught there, dance competitions were organized there and I took part in them actively. It was a way for me to be with people who looked like me socially and culturally.Since that time, I have danced and haven’t stopped training, exchanging, thinking about the role of this medium. Dance is what connects me to the other, connects me to my Métis culture between the heritage of West Indies (Afro Caribbean) and heritage of metropolitan France.
Through urban dances, traditional African dance and swing dance, I nourished this part of me who was trying to honor my roots and my identity as a West Indian living in France.
Within the MANIFEST Artistic Journey, Aurélie will work together with Deirdre Molloy as a member of the collective Unity.
I am convinced that body expression helps to mobilise one’s confidence. It also teaches us to work with and within the group in order to better find our place in society. I perceive dance as a great instrument of social cohesion.