Marcel Gbeffa
BeninMarcel Gbeffa is a dancer-choreographer and Artistic Director of the Centre Choregraphique Multicorps in Cotonou, Benin and choreographer of Cie Multicorps / Marcel Gbeffa. In 2007 he created the solo “Et Si …” which launched his international career at the Choreographic Encounters “Danse l’Afrique Danse 2010” in Bamako, Mali. He has completed many professional trainings including the 8th edition of professional training of traditional and Contemporary African dance at Germaine Acogny ‘s Ecole des Sables in Senegal. In 2008, he joined Andréya Ouamba and his company 1er Temps, with whom he worked as assistant to the director and dancer in works such as “Palabre”; “Sueur des shadows”, “J’ai arrêté de croire au future” which was presented at the Théâtre de Ville Les Abbesses in Paris in December 2013. He has toured in Africa, Europe and the USA with Andréya Ouamba and American choreographer Reggie Wilson.
Concurrently, he developed his own vocabulary and projects in Africa, Brazil and Europe. He created the duets “Primitive Shadow”, “Solitudes Blues” (in collaboration with choreographer Maria-Luisa Angulo of Trias Culture) and the duet “Vodoun” (a Benin/Brazil project). In co-production with the Zinsou Foundation, he created the group works “Sans regard”, “Le couloir sombre de l’amour”, “Noir mirage” and “Root’in”. “ His latest solo creation, created while a recipient of the “Visa Pour la Creation” of the Institut Français, “Derrière le Rideau” has been an evolution for him choreographically. After the tour of his trio “Les Entrailles de l’Identité”, he co-choreographed “Illusion” with Fatou Cissé from Senegal and « Empoigné(e)s » with French Vincent Fritshi and Céline Coyac Attindehou on the subject of disability. He has recently created a new evening-length work with US-based Wendy Jehlen titled “(R)evolve” and is lead collaborator with Jehlen for the project “Run Like a Girl.” Centre Chorégraphique Multicorps is located in the heart of the city of Cotonou and is frequented by more than 300 regular students. It opens its dance studios to choreographic residencies and offers courses to amateurs and professionals, as well as professional workshops.