Magec / The Desert is a dance performance by Moroccan choreographer Radouan Mriziga. At its heart is the desert, not as an empty place, but as a landscape full of knowledge, rhythm, and meaning. From the Sahara to the steppes of Central Asia: untameable spaces as places of reflection, revealing the smallness of humanity.
Mriziga sees the desert as a place of wisdom, one that calls for attention, humility, and balance rather than dominance. In his choreography, movement, text, music, and sound come together to create a layered performance in which different perspectives become tangible.
The cultures of desert regions are a key source of inspiration, think crafts, music, and customs. The rhythm of the landscape also plays an important role. Sound moves differently in the desert than in the mountains. Silence, space, and time take on new meaning here. On stage, you see dancers working with rhythm and repetition. In Magec / The Desert, DJ and producer Deena Abdelwahed will perform both live and pre-recorded music, while also interacting with the dancers.
The makers also draw inspiration from desert animals, with imagination and an understanding of movement giving rise to new forms. Another key element in the performance is the sundial. Light and shadow make time visible, a reference to how people in the desert live in relation to the sun and the natural world. You become aware of small shifts: in temperature, in light.
Magec / The Desert is the second part of a trilogy about landscapes as carriers of knowledge. Where the first part focused on mountains, this performance descends into the desert. Here, between mountains and sea, a new way of seeing the world emerges.
The performance invites you to slow down. To pause and consider the intelligence of nature. And to feel reconnected with your surroundings.
SHIFT
This performance is part of SHIFT: the label for unpolished performing arts. Expect raw, poetic, personal performances, no glitter, no façades. Shows you simply must see, by young and established makers engaging with current events and the future. You come to SHIFT because you want to know what’s going on: in your head, in the world, in others, in yourself, in the big picture and in the small. For curious thinkers and critical dreamers. SHIFT is an initiative of Explore the North and Stadsschouwburg De Harmonie.
SHIFT season 2026/2027 is made possible in part through financial support from Fonds 21.
