Omar Rajeh is one of the most notable current dance artists from the Arabic-speaking world. After establishing his base in Lebanon in 2002, he relocated to Lyon in 2020, continuing to create, tour, and develop projects between Lebanon, France, and internationally. His works are deeply rooted in social and political themes and deliberately transcend conventional boundaries of dance. Central to his approach is maqam, a practice of instant composition and creation in the moment. It is a continuous process of folding, growing, and becoming that is organising space through relationships rather than form. Maqam approaches the body as a living constellation of shifting centres, and an emerging architecture of internal impulses. They interact to shape space in real time. It is rooted in a conceptual and physical approach that conceives the body as “multi-bodies” – a constellation of centres of signification in constant dialogue.

In 2002, he founded his dance company Maqamat and in 2004, BIPOD – Beirut International Platform of Dance, one of the key contemporary dance platforms in the Levant. He also co-founded the Masahat network, connecting artists and organizations worldwide. In 2017 he established Citerne Beirut, a pioneering choreographic and cultural centre in Lebanon. After its forced dismantling in 2019, he created Citerne.live in France: a digital platform dedicated to artistic circulation, documentation of practices, and new forms of encounter between artists, structures, and publics. In 2021, the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. The presentation of Dance Is Not for Us as part of the 29th edition of the Flora Theatre Festival also marks the first guest performance by Omar Rajeh and his company in the Czech Republic!