Le Port des Créateurs, a major cultural incubator on the Var scene, has announced the names of the artists selected for the tenth edition of its Booster residency program. For 2026, which celebrates the intersection of dance and music, the choice fell on a duo that is as surprising as it is promising: Moroccan hip-hop dancer Hamza Baroune and French baroque violinist Joséphine Prélonge.
With the support of Régine Chopinot, who has been mentoring the program’s Dance award winners since 2018, the two artists will participate in a research and creation residency from August 3 to September 15, 2026. This period will allow them to develop their joint project, titled “1comme1,” which aims to foster a dialogue between two disciplines and two artistic worlds that, at first glance, seem to be polar opposites.
Where Two Worlds Meet
The backgrounds of the two winners speak to the richness of their future collaboration. Hamza Baroune, originally from Tamanarte, Morocco, is an internationally recognized choreographer and performer in the hip-hop scene, having notably been a member of his country’s national team. His work, which also extends into contemporary dance, is characterized by powerful physicality and great expressiveness.
Opposite him, Joséphine Prélonge embodies the excellence of an older musical tradition. A baroque and classical violinist, she is a regular member of the Ensemble Il Gardellino and was a member of the prestigious European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO) for the 2023–2024 season. Her repertoire ranges from early music to contemporary compositions, demonstrating a curiosity and openness that will resonate with this transdisciplinary project.
“1comme1”: A Hybrid and Ever-Changing Creation
The “1comme1” duo is conceived as a space for experimentation based on mutual listening. Far from seeking to pit their art forms against one another, the two artists aim to forge an organic connection between their respective practices. The project explores the relationship between the feminine and the masculine, not as a binary opposition, but as a flowing energy, a space for sharing.
The goal is to create a new form of artistic expression—a hybrid, fluid work where boundaries blur: “a dance that becomes music, a music that becomes the body,” according to the project’s statement of intent. This extended residency will provide the time needed for this demanding exploration to mature, one that promises to challenge established norms and conventions.
