the French artistic swimming team begins its rehearsals with Mourad Merzouki

Less than 300 days before the Paris Olympic Games, the French artistic swimming team, the official name of synchronized swimming since 2017, is preparing for the free ballet event. And it is Mourad Merzouki who supervises the rehearsals for this always very spectacular moment.

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At the edge of the pool, the dancer and choreographer dissects each gesture of the eight swimmers of the French ballet. The Lyonnais, who has been exploring the world of hip hop for decades, is changing dimensions. “Everything happens in the water, I have a relationship with the body that is completely new”, rejoices Mourad Merzouki. His mission ? Imagine the French ballet for the Olympics on the song “Ladies” by Grand Corps Malade.

The head coach, Julie Fabre, immediately agreed: “We said to ourselves OK, how could we move differently in our sport which is still quite formatted?” For Mourad Merzouki, going beyond these codes is imperative: “what I try to do is to break this smooth side a little to find a little rage, a little more visceral commitment”explains the choreographer.

And for swimmers, this project is completely innovative in its preparation. “We had dance lessons with different speakers,” explains Oriane Jaillardon, “and that really helped us in the way of moving, in the different types of dance to be able to transcribe it in the water.” This unique ballet will be discovered during the artistic swimming events, between August 5 and 10, 2024.