Lino MERION / A koz ? - Ah Koze !

"Heritage and creation" residency at the Villèle museum / March 2020 - September 2020

He first started dancing at the age of 17. His natural curiosity led him to discover a range of dance styles: pop, break, house, new style etc. In 2011, he trained with the Hip-Hop Révolution dance troupe in Bordeaux. After obtaining his diploma, he started to dance with various well-known companies in mainland France: Hors Series, Caliband Théâtre, Stylistik, Émoi, Descends Danse etc. Over a period of six years, he went on tour in France and other countries as a dancer-choreographer. At the same time, he specialised in Krump and continued to participate in national and international competitions. Krump finally became his chosen style of dance. To really master the basic techniques and explore the origins of Krump, he travelled to various countries: The United States, Africa, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.

Today, after five years of intensive practice, he has set up La Fam Gazé, which has members in Bordeaux, Paris, Bayonne and Reunion island. In 2016, he started creating as a dancer-choreographer, with the company Danse Etik, producing his first autobiographical 50-minute solo show: Soubat’. En 2018, he associated as an artist with TÉAT, the theatres coming under the Departmental Council of Reunion and produced a second artistic creation entitled Somin (Way).

A koz ? - Ah Koze ! Is a choreographic project questioning the Reunionese identity and its cultural heritage.

Originally from Saint-Gilles-les-Hauts, Lino Merion spent most of his childhood here, in this neighbourhood, historical through the presence of the Villèle museum, the Chapelle Pointue and the ruins of the sugar factory. At the time, he would walk through these places without being aware of the true character of this heritage, perhaps due to a lack of information or because, unconsciously, he preferred not to remember. It was not until he returned to the island as an adult after a long absence that Lino Merion became aware of the importance of this chapter of the island’s history and of his childhood spent walking through, but also avoiding these places.

The question asked is: A koze ? (Why?) and the answer lies in Ah Koze ! (let's chat!)

Lino Merion sees this period of residency as a sort of palaver tree. He wishes to bring together the inhabitants, provoke discussion, with the aim of injecting dynamics into the history of Villèle. "Allez Koze" (Go on, let's chat).

With the participation of the residents, schoolchildren, local associations and visitors coming to the museum, through the prism and collaboration of the dancers, Reunionese fonkézers and traditional musicians, little by little, stories will be told and have an effect.