By JESSICA NEU
Renowned visionary and choreographer Hervé Koubi greeted a nearly sold-out crowd at the Byham Theater Saturday evening. He introduced his critically acclaimed show Compagnie, Hervé Koubi as the Pittsburgh Dance Council began its 2025-26 season. Koubi explained that his vision for this work centered around his desire to be reborn and to dance like and remember what it feels like to be a child once again.
Dancers stoically took the stage after Koubi’s moving speech. Quietly, patiently, purposefully, the 17-member ensemble began the 80-minute tour de force of artistry in motion. Clad in plain shirts, long skirts, and supportive black dance shoes, the simplicity of the Guillaume Gabriel’s costumes offset Koubi’s intricate and simply stunning choreography. The dancers first began moving without music. They kept time, intrinsically proving their talent and musicality from the start. Shortly thereafter, gentle, nature-like rhythms bellowed from speakers. Compagnie’s soundtrack features music from Mikael Karlsson, Maxime Bodson, Steve Reich, and Ludwig Van Beethoven. Some of the pieces were a bit more up-tempo and percussion-forward, but by and large, the music’s tranquility was elegantly juxtaposed against Koubi’s intense choreography.
From beginning to end, Compagnie Hervé Koubi is a juggernaut of a performance. The dancers move about the stage with unparalleled skill, strength, and control. Dancers do occasionally dance in synchronicity, but the awe-inspiring moments in Compagnie, Hervé Koubi come from the individual performances that work together to make the show whole.
Dancers do not just put on a master class in acro, contortion, ballet, parkour, leaps, and partner lifts – they redefine what is possible in these genres of dance. Whether they are moving across the stage, leaping to the sky, or sinking into the ground, each dancer’s movement is exaggerated and extended, creating lines and visuals that fill the entire stage. They extend from their core and leap, soar, or even fly at times. Dancers invert and contort themselves in ways that I did not realize were humanly possible and would certainly give me a fast pass to Allegheny General Hospital if I tried to execute. All dancers are athletes, but the company of Compagnie, Hervé Koubi are the Simone Biles, Michael Jordan, and Babe Ruth of dance. Company members spin on their heads repeatedly without the support of their hands, flip through the air, and lift one another as if they possess super-human qualities. Never have I attended a dance performance that drew as many audible gasps in disbelief as Compagnie, Hervé Koubi. Koubi beautifully incorporates elements of street dance, modern ballet, and even a Bhangra-like celebration into his show.
Although most of Compagnie, Hervé Koubi is fast-paced and thrilling, there are moments where the dancers’ movements subside, and we are captivated in the space of the still and the silent. A gentle embrace, low-to-the-ground crawling movements, and balanced poses punctuate Compagnie to help the dancers and audience members catch their breath. A gold sheet that spans the length of the stage adds drama, suspense, aesthetic, and awe-inspiring movement to the show. Lionel Buzonie’s lighting showcased the dancer’s talent and swept sporadic golden lights that painted a sunrise throughout the theater.
As tremendous as the company was as a whole, one dancer in particular shone and redefined what is possible in dance. A featured male dancer navigated the Koubi’s choreography with one leg. He spun, balanced, contorted, and moved across the stage with unparalleled reverence, remarkable artistry, and quality of movement. As the company stood positioned throughout the stage, one dancer carried the single-legged dancer on his back to center stage for a solo performance. It was a moment of beauty, humanity, and peace. Compagnie, Hervé Koubi celebrates life in a joyous manner that represents our forgotten childhood, while also offering a transcendent experience that redefines what is physically and emotionally possible for all.
Pittsburgh Dance Council concerts are a project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Performances are one night only, with the next performance in the seriers featuring the Aakash Odedra Company at the Byham Theater on Saturday, October 11, 2025. Tickets at: https://trustarts.org/production/101596/aakash-odedra-company
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