Dance as a resistance movement: BLACK inaugurates Culture and Human Rights Week at the UAB

Drawing on episodes from recent history – #BlackLivesMatter movement or the murder of George Floyd – this dance piece is inspired by key styles from Africa's major cities and their diaspora in the US, such as coupé-décalé, azonto and ndombolo.

In BLACK, Oulouy draws on his own life experience to explore what it means to inhabit a black body in Europe. Through languages such as krump, urban dance and modern dance, the performance articulates a physical and emotional response to discrimination, stereotypes and exclusionary dynamics.

The body becomes a space of memory, of rootedness and of resistance. There is no explicit verbal discourse, but every gesture and every movement constructs a clear narrative: the right to exist, to occupy space, and to define one's own identity.

The piece has been part of programmes linked to anti-racist initiatives and social reflection spaces, reinforcing its political and pedagogical dimension. BLACK not only engages the viewer from an artistic standpoint, but also invites them to question social structures that often go unnoticed.

In this sense, the proposal fully aligns with the spirit of the UAB's Culture and Human Rights Week: understanding culture as a tool for transformation and as a space to make silenced realities visible.

Starting the week with BLACK means placing the body at the centre of the debate on human rights. It means recognising that culture is not just entertainment, but also consciousness, memory and assertion.

The performance has a running time of approximately 30 minutes and is open to the entire university community. The box office for the UAB Theatre Hall opens 30 minutes before the start of the performance. Admission is free but limited to the theatre's capacity. Booking in advance is recommended via this form.

The UAB invites the university community to experience this artistic performance combining theatrical power with social commitment. A dance that is not just meant to be viewed: it should be felt and reflected upon.