Maalem talks about his art, what motivates him

Editor's note: The following Q&A has been edited for grammar and style.

Heddy Maalem has a compagnie. And a vision. And a way of moving.

He has 14 dancers from Africa. He has the raw, heart-pounding music of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring." He has a Belgian filmmaker for a collaborator and a fascination for the human drama — the love and blood, the energy, despair and violence.

Maalem tries to express these concerns through movement and his own, unique style of dance. Born in Batna, Algeria of an Algerian father and French mother, he is a skilled boxer who discovered that sport in some ways resembled dance. He began to study movement, eventually founding his own company in 1990.

Maalem's choreography alternates between big works, such as "Le Sacre du Printemps" that the company will be performing this weekend for Spoleto Festival USA and smaller solo works.

In a recent e-mail exchange, Maalem described his approach and concerns.

Q. Tell me a little about yourself. You are French-Algerian. Where do you live now? And how did you get involved in dance?

A. I'm 57, living in Toulouse, a city in the south of France. As a young man I was not involved in dance but in sport, especially martial arts, boxing and Aïkido. Dance came later. It was a complete surprise and at the same time absolutely obvious.

Q. How do your own experience and identity influence your ideas about dance?

A. From my practices I learned a pragmatic, organic and sensitive way of moving. That's the way I used to dance. The contemporary dance is the invention of a language, a movement of our mind, poetry in action.

Q. How did your trips to the metropolis of Lagos, Nigeria, influence your work? In what ways did the city impress you?

I went to Lagos several times, my first time was a real shock: the disaster of our modernity mixed with a tremendous desire for life, and energy, intelligence, despair — like "The Rite of Spring."

Q. What gave you the idea of linking Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" with the tumult of city life? The Rite, after all refers to humankind's primitive nature and pagan ceremonies, yet the city — even the corrupt and chaotic city — is the ultimate symbol of civilization. What is the main message of this piece?

A. Maybe this: The catastrophe is already there, so we have to think about which way we are going to choose now — men from the south, men from the north — to make life possible. But the main message of this dance piece is perhaps that we need to observe for a long time before we can know others, we need to learn the art of contemplation.

Q. Describe the production. It includes film? Are there other elements? How do these work together?

A. Yes, it was not easy, as usual. Benoit Dervaux shot the movie in Lagos and Benoit De Clerck recorded sounds from the city. We were looking for the possibility of a counterpoint to Stravinsky's masterpiece, something African and universal. We did this work after the choreography had been finished.

Q. How did you find this diverse group of dancers? How did you manage to get everyone on the same page?

I was touring in West Africa (and) met dancers from different countries. African dancers are the same as any artists: interested in discovery, adventure, involvement in something serious and challenging, respect for their craft and for one another and, if possible, success. I always use the same thing to put everybody "on the same page": our human body.

Q. Have you ever toured the U.S.?

A. No it will be my first time, and it's a pleasure and an honor for me.

Q. What's next for you? What are you working on now?

A. Several things. I just finished two pieces, one with 12 dancers from Europe, Asia and Africa called "Un Champ de Forces," and a program of solitude: "Le Principe de Solitude." I'm preparing two pieces: one portrait of a breakdancer called "Zulu" and a piece with 10 dancers called "But the devil is walking by our side" with composer and percussionist Fritz Hauser.