Alexandre Paulikevitch

Alexandre Paulikevitch (Arabic: الكسندر بوليكيفيتش; born February 20, 1982) is a Lebanese artist living in Beirut, Lebanon. He is one of very few male Arab belly dancers, and is known for his thought provoking work and the social issues he tackles through his art.[1][2] He studied at the University of Paris VIII majoring in Theater and Dance.

He returned to Beirut in 2006, where he is now permanently based, and has since "been creating spaces of reflection on Middle-Eastern dance through his work as a choreographer, a teacher and a performer".[3] Today he specializes in contemporary Baladi dance, a new dance form he has created and divulged.[4]

Early life and career

Paulikevitch was born in Lebanon where he grew up in a conservative Armenian Christian neighborhood of Beirut. He embraced his sexuality early-on and came out as a homosexual man to his friends and family at the age of 16.[1] His solo debut in Beirut was in 2009 with “Mouhawala Oula” (Arabic for "First Try") with which he begins to challenge gender stereotypes.[5]

Homosexuality

Although a relatively progressive country in the Middle East, homosexuality has not yet been decriminalized in Lebanon. As a male with a feminine demeanor, he is often the target of derogatory catcalls when in public. In one of his first solo shows, entitled Tajwal, Paulikevitch dances to a compilation of insults directed at him on the streets of Beirut, turning his suffering into art.[6]

Gender

Paulikevitch's work also redefines "gender roles through oriental dance".[5] As a male dancer of Baladi, he uses his body to question gender stereotypes in the Middle East.[7]

Activism

Beyond his dance practice, Paulikevitch is an active member of the civil society in Lebanon and a visible participant of multiple civil rights marches and protests. During the 2019–2020 Lebanese protests, also known locally as the October Revolution, Alexandre was violently arrested and detained by the riot police after participating in a public protest on the eve of January 14, 2020. He was summoned to military court, setting a precedent in a series of military tribunal convocations for citizens arrested during the protests.[8] Paulikevitch's experience of arrest and detention inspired his show "A'alehom", during which he expresses his personal grief and the difficult year that was 2020.[9] His work has been described as a "call to revolution".[10]

Baladi appellation

One of the main missions Paulikevitch claims for himself is to battle what he describes as 'the colonial designation' of 'Belly Dance'. In describing his work, he aims to reclaim the native significance and original Egyptian appellation Baladi — Arabic for my country or land. His main critique is that the term 'Belly Dance' was created through the colonial gaze to eroticize this dance, condemning it as female and suggestive.[11] As a male Arab dancer within this tradition, he combats these stereotypes, thus reclaiming a space for a male figure in a female dominated world.[1]

Features

Paulikevitch was featured locally and internationally in many outlets. This includes an episode of the Netflix series We Speak Dance, hosted by Vandana Hart[12] and filmed in Beirut; a New York Times article, "Coming Out in Lebanon" about openly queer and transsexual individuals in Lebanon,[4] and a BBC Culture documentary, The Male Belly Dancer Fighting Gender Stereotypes.[11]

Selected works

Solo shows
  • “Mouhawala Oula” (Arabic: محاولة اولة), Debut: 2009[5]
  • Tajwal (Arabic: تجوال), Debut: 2011[13]
  • ELGHA (Arabic: إلغاء)، Debut: 2013[6]
  • Baladi ya Wad (Arabic: بلدي يا واد) Debut: 2015[14]
  • A'alehom (Arabic: عليهم) Debut: 2020[15]

Collaborative shows
  • Poster session / school - Festival d'Avignon, a collaboration with dancers/choreographers: Christine De Smedt, Simone Forti, Xavier Le Roy, Mette Ingvartsen; directors: Jan Ritsema et Cyril Teste; rapper: DGIZ; author and playwright: Bojana Cvejic; essayist: Charlotte Nordmann; and director of the École supérieure d'art d'Avignon (ESAA): Jean-Marc Ferrari, Debut: 2011[16]
  • SKINOUT, a collaboration with Cecilia Bengolea, François Chaignaud, Ylva Falk, Elisa Yvelin, Naïs Haidar, Alex Mugler, Debut: 2012[17]
  • Palais de Femme, a collaboration with Joelle Khoury and Chaghig Arzoumanian, Debut: 2014[18]
  • Dresse le Pour moi (Arabic: فأدِّبْهُ لي), a collaboration with Nancy Naous, Debut: 2018 [19]
  • The Last Distance, a collaboration with Leen Hashem, Debut: 2018 [20]

See also

LGBT rights in Lebanon Belly dance

References
  1. "How Alexandre Paulikevitch — Beirut's singular male belly dancer — breaks barriers with his art". CBC. November 2, 2015.
  2. Menta, Anna (21 March 2018). "Male "belly dancer" uses baladi to defy sexism and homophobia in Lebanon". Newsweek.
  3. "Alexandre Paulikevitch - NAWF Women Entrepreneurs". www.nawforum.com.
  4. Boushnak, Laura; Boshnaq, Mona (30 December 2017). "Coming Out in Lebanon" – via NYTimes.com.
  5. "Redefining gender roles through oriental dance". now.mmedia.me.
  6. "A l'IMA, Alexandre Paulikevitch mêle féminin et masculin". 19 April 2018 – via Le Monde.
  7. "Alexandre Paulikevitch in "Elgah": Watch me Move Resistance!". 23 December 2013.
  8. "Lebanese Male Dancer on Trial For 'Twirl' During Protests". Al Bawaba. 24 September 2020.
  9. Zalzal, Zéna (9 December 2020). "Alexandre Paulikevitch, sensible et... culotté". L'Orient Le Jour.
  10. "Alexandre Paulikevitch exorcise ses traumatismes sur scène". TV5 Monde. 19 December 2020.
  11. Galer, Sophia Smith. "The male belly dancer fighting gender stereotypes". www.bbc.com.
  12. "We Speak Dance". 11 December 2017 – via Vimeo.
  13. "Tajwal, Alexandre Paulikevitch". Institut du monde arabe. 6 February 2018.
  14. Fache, Wilson (17 April 2015). "" Tra-Tra-Tra-Houuuum-Ha ! " ordonne Alexandre Paulikevitch". L'Orient-Le Jour.
  15. Ghali, Maghie (10 December 2020). "" Dance performance born in crises packs a punch " - Maghie GHALI". The Daily Star Lebanon.
  16. "Poster Session / School". Festival Avignon. 21 July 2011.
  17. "Dans le collimateur de Francois Chaignaud + Cecelia Bengolea". À Vous Poitiers. 28 January 2012.
  18. Metni, Natasha (10 October 2014). "Palais de femmes. La femme au sein de l'art- Natasha Metni". Magazine Le Mensuel.
  19. "Dresse le Pour moi". Le Thêatre Saint Nazaire. 15 March 2018.
  20. "The Last Distance". Outburst Arts. 10 November 2018.
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