MARAH HAJ HUSSEIN & NUR GARABLI
In relation to whom?
مرتاحة؟
As part of 100% L'EXPO
1h
This project brings together Marah Haj Hussein and Nur Garabli, two Palestinian artists collaborating for the first time. Marah grew up in Kofor Yassif and is currently based in Antwerp. Nur was born in Ajami, Jaffa, where she still lives. In a context of ongoing dislocation, they seek to meet and to forge connections, carrying shared realities of occupied Palestine while inhabiting them in different ways.
As choreographers, they begin from the internalised violence of their dance educations, shaped by a militarised vocabulary, and propose to rewrite a choreographic language of their own. Crossing their trajectories in a non-linear way, they resist fixed meanings of the past as well as a predetermined future. Marah and Nur draw on a more intimate form of transmission inherited from their mothers and grandmothers, reclaiming the practice of ululation (“lulululeesh”).
This creation questions how our experiences collide. It unfolds as an archaeological process, digging into our bodies as living matter. It brings together contradictions and vulnerabilities, humour and tension.
Marah Haj Hussein is a dancer, actress, and creator from occupied Palestine, currently based in Antwerp. In her work, she explores power structures embedded in language, often bringing together theatre and dance through physical, political, and poetic encounters on stage. In 2025, she won the Actors’ Award for Best Performance in the under-35 category.
Nur Garabli is a choreographer, dancer, and artistic director based in occupied Jaffa. Her work lies at the intersection of folklore and contemporary dance, where tradition evolves into a living, constantly transforming movement. Through her body, she explores memory as an archive—an active space of resistance, documentation, and continuity. Nur co-organized Moving Together (2022 and 2023), a festival that brings women together through dance and a shared heritage.
Performance in Arabic, surtitled in English.
Concept and performance Marah Haj Hussein & Nur Garabli Dramaturgy and artistic collaboration Krystel Khoury Lighting design Pôl Seif Costume Smila Zinecker Music and composition Verena Rizzo Sound management Korin Rizzo Set design Agnese Forlani
Production management Ehren Verrelst Production Monty Co-production Kunstencentrum BUDA ; Saraya Theater ; Theater Rotterdam ; Points communs – Nouvelle scène nationale Cergy-Pontoise / Val-d’Oise ; Fondation Royaumont ; La Villette/EPPGHV ; Centre national de la danse (CND) ; De Singel ; La Briqueterie CDCN ; Les Halles de Schaerbeek ; Frascati Producties ; Le Maillon, Théâtre de Strasbourg With the support of the Flemish Government | Ammodo Acknowledgements to Rabeah Morkus Dance Studio – Kofor Yasif I The Work Room – Glasgow I Battersea Arts Centre – London I KAAP – Bruges I Hana Dance House – Haifa and all those who supported us throughout.
Practical information
Grande Halle – Salle Boris Vian
Métro
Ligne 5 - Porte de Pantin
Tram
Tram 3b - Porte de Pantin
Bus
Bus 75, 151 : Porte de Pantin
Bike GH
Vélib' docking points
Bike racks
Electric bikes
A battery container is located in front of the Grande Halle.
Parking
Q-Park
Philharmonie
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - La Villette
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - Conservatoire
Parking
Cité des Sciences
- Accessible to people with reduced mobility (PRM). Please contact 01 40 03 75 75
- Partially accessible to deaf individuals, depending on the programming.
- Partially accessible to individuals with hearing aids, depending on the programming.
- Partially accessible to visually impaired and blind individuals.
- Accessible to individuals with psychological, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities.
- Several dining options are available in the park before or after the show. Discover them HERE.
Access to the venue is subject to security checks.
- The following items are prohibited: all glass containers, sharp or blunt objects, weapons of any kind or replicas, animals (except guide dogs for the visually impaired), large luggage or bags, and batteries for electric bikes or scooters. Security staff have the final say on which items are allowed inside.
- Bringing food into the performance hall is not permitted.
Partenaires
Partenaires Médias
