In a context marked by growing social and territorial inequalities, the questioning of public cultural funding, and the challenges faced by social policies in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, cultural actors are emerging as figures of resistance.

Through their commitment, they reject the idea that culture should become a privilege reserved for a few, and instead reaffirm its essential role in building a fairer and more inclusive society. On the ground, they create spaces for expression, social connection, and both individual and collective transformation — despite budget constraints, lack of public support, institutional resistance, and sometimes contradictory policy expectations.

Two meetings were held in Montpellier between 2024 and 2025, bringing together professionals from the cultural and social sectors, as well as institutions — first on a local scale, then for an international exchange (Germany, Burkina Faso, France, Sweden).

On 31 October and 7 November, as part of the HYPE OCC festival, the next meeting will take the form of two afternoon working sessions focused on themes collectively defined in advance. We will meet both in person and online, in different spaces (in Montpellier and virtual rooms), to deepen discussions and potentially spark future collaborations.

These meetings will again be bilingual (French/English).

This cycle of exchanges is open to all professionals engaged or interested in the topic. It aims to generate concrete pathways for collaboration, to strengthen ties between culture and social work, and to co-create inclusive projects that foster civic engagement and collective responsibility.

Free entry upon inscription (here)

Photo © Dirk Korell

Pass Pass is the new creation by Francky Corcoy, scheduled for 2026, blending breakdance (B-boying, B-girling), musical composition, and text.

Through a dramaturgy rooted in storytelling and the musicality of movement, the piece explores the question of transmission within hiphop dance — that of an artist choosing to pass the torch. Two performers — Maëlys Escare and Timothée Allal — embody the relationship between the apprentice and the mentor, between inheritance and emancipation, in a staging that combines energy, emotion, and technical precision.

Anchored in the choreographer’s personal journey, this creation extends the intimate work initiated with GROS, a piece about difference and self-esteem. Today, Corcoy steps back from the stage to question the idea of transmission, driven by the desire to pass on knowledge and passion through other bodies.

The piece reflects on the cycle of giving, artistic lineage, and self-reinvention through others, supported by an original score from the legendary Frank2Louise and a poetic text by Caroline Stella — a constant dialogue between dance, speech, and music.

The performance will be followed by a Q&A.

This presentation is part of the works circulating within the HYPE OCC network, in collaboration with the HipHop Occitanie Network, and benefits from creation support by the HYPE OCC network.

Photo © Cie Influences

Artistic direction & choreography Francky Corcoy
Dance Maëlys Escare, Timothée Allal
Original music Frank2Louise
Texts & poetry Caroline Stella
Dramaturgy Mariana Lézin
Lighting creation P.P.
Production – Compagnie Influences
Administration – Sigma Production
Co-productions – Centre culturel Jean Ferrat (Cabestany) – Théâtre dans les Vignes (Couffoulens) – Théâtre aux croisements (Perpignan) en cours…
Support – Troupuscule Théâtre, Centre culturel Jean Ferrat (Cabestany), Théâtre des Aspres (Thuir),
Association One One (Carcassonne), Festival HYPE OCC (Occitanie), en cours…

Company homepage

 Cie Influences

Sonance is the first creation by Anaïs Mauri and Germain Zambi, an emblematic duo from the krump scene.

Born respectively in Italy and Congo before settling in France at the age of ten, they transform their natural shyness into an embodied intensity where revolt and love intertwine.

Through raw physicality and deep mutual listening, Sonance explores a central question: how do those who do not speak make themselves heard?
It is a work about silent complicity, shared vibration between two beings, and the inner music that emerges from trust and collective movement.

Together, Anaïs and Germain offer with Sonance a dance of listening and resonance — a silent dialogue between two bodies that understand each other beyond words.

The performance will be followed by a Q&A.

Also to discover: the documentary film Krump Get Off, featuring a portrait of Germain Zambi, on 9 November as part of the HYPE OCC program at Cinéma Utopia in Montpellier.

Photo © Pow.roussely

Choreography & dance Germain Zambi aka Twin Sniper et Anaïs Mauri aka Silent, aka Queen Naab aka Queen Rucboi

Twin Sniper

Queen Naab

For HYPE OCC, Germain Zambi, aka Twin Sniper, leads a krump masterclass designed for dancers with solid experience — not necessarily in krump.

He guides participants toward body awareness, energy flow, groove, storytelling, and the krump session experience.

Twin Sniper (interview in French here) is a versatile krump dancer. He discovered hiphop in 2012 through various workshops. In 2019, he joined choreographer David Drouard’s company D.A.D.R Cie for the creation of MU, later collaborating with Délit de Façade in 2020. In 2021, he took part in Dead Trees Give No Shelter, a creation by double bassist Florentin Ginot and choreographer Soa Ratsifandrihana. With Anaïs Mauri aka Silent, he presents the work-in-progress duet Sonance the day before.

Also to discover:

• His introductory krump workshop, 8 November

• Sonance, duet by Twin Sniper and Anaïs “Silent” Mauri, 6 November at the Pôle Chorégraphique Bernard Glandier

• His portrait in Romain Cieutat’s documentary Krump Get Off, 9 November at Cinéma Utopia

Photo © D.R.

Twin Sniper

Interested in Krump and want to give it a try? Germain Zambi, aka Twin Sniper, offers an introductory workshop open to anyone curious to experience this visceral, emotional, powerful, and deeply expressive dance.

He will cover the foundations of krump, its history, and its different spaces: lab, session, and battle.

This workshop is also part of the #JeSuis program, led by camin aktion since 2020.

Twin Sniper (interview in French here) is a versatile krump dancer. He discovered hiphop in 2012 through various workshops. In 2019, he joined choreographer David Drouard’s company D.A.D.R Cie for the creation of MU, later collaborating with Délit de Façade in 2020. In 2021, he took part in Dead Trees Give No Shelter, a creation by double bassist Florentin Ginot and choreographer Soa Ratsifandrihana. With Anaïs Mauri aka Silent, he presents the work-in-progress duet Sonance the day before.

Also to discover:

• His krump masterclass, 9 November

• Sonance, duet by Twin Sniper and Anaïs “Silent” Mauri, 6 November at the Pôle Chorégraphique Bernard Glandier

• His portrait in Romain Cieutat’s documentary Krump Get Off, 9 November at Cinéma Utopia

Photo © Laura Bousquet

Twin Sniper

Rooted in hiphop culture, Karim Kh – dancer, choreographer, film maker – shapes a distinctive choreographic language that he transposes to the screen. His films do not simply capture dance — they explore how the body itself can become cinematic material.

At the heart of his approach lies the dancers’ interpretation: their individuality, presence, and breath become the primary sources of emotion and narrative.

Through his play with storytelling, framing, light, and editing rhythm, Karim creates a hybrid form of writing where dance and cinema merge. Each film becomes a sensitive, poetic experience — inviting the viewer not only to watch movement, but to feel it, as a journey between the intimate and the universal.

HYPE OCC, in partnership with Cinéma Utopia, presents 9 short films by Karim Kh.

Duration: approx. 25 minutes

The screening will be followed by a talk with the filmmaker.

On-site tickets: full price 7€, under 14: 5€

Also to discover: the duet Drink the Sea Inside of Me by Karim Kh and Johanna Faye, on Monday, 10 November, as part of the HYPE OCC program at the Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse in Montpellier.

This film program is part of the works circulating within the HYPE OCC network.

KarimKh

K.R.U.M.P — Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise — is a movement born in the United States in the early 2000s, thanks to clown Tommy. Its pioneers include Tight Eyez and Big Mijo.

They grew up in South Central Los Angeles and belong to a community with its own codes: absolute respect for one another, hierarchical families, and members who are chosen only after epic battles. Not only does the “master” select their “children,” but the entire family must be convinced by the dancer’s performance before welcoming them in.

With Krump Get Off, director Romain Cieutat offers a sensitive and nuanced look at this culture. His camera disappears into the movement — and into our gaze as viewers — revealing an intimacy that resonates through every gesture and every breath.

We follow the journeys of four dancers: Staël Isaya-Wa aka Wrecker, Émilie Ouedraogo aka Lady Madskillz (Wounded), Germain Zambi aka Jr Sniper, and Alexandre Moreau aka CYBORG, as they compete at the 10th Illest Battle at La Villette (2023) — where the best krumpers from around the world vie for the ultimate title.

Duration: 52 minutes

HYPE OCC, in partnership with Cinéma Utopia, presents this documentary for its first screening in the Hérault county.

The screeing will be followed by a discussion with Germain Zambi, aka Twin Sniper, one of the documentary’s protagonists.

Also to discover:

The duet Sonance by Twin Sniper and Anaïs “Silent” Mauri, on 6 November as part of the HYPE OCC program at the Pôle Chorégraphique Bernard Glandier.

Twin Sniper’s Krump masterclass (7 November) and Krump discovery workshop (8 November). 

This presentation is part of the works circulating within the HYPE OCC network.

Dancer’s porraits Staël Isaya Wa aka Wrecket, Emilie Ouedraogo aka Lady Madskillz aka Wounded, Germain Zambi aka JR Sniper/Twin Sniper, Alexandre Moreau aka Cyborg

Script and direction: Romain Cieutat

Editing :  Fanny Servant

Original music : Julien Villa

Production : Thematics Prod

Romain Cieutat

1+1=1, a solo by Laura “Nala” Defretin – Mazel Freten, was born from an intimate need to reconnect with herself after the birth of her daughter.

This solo explores self-rediscovery, bodily transformation, and the symbiotic bond between mother and child. Laura questions identity, motherhood, and resilience. Through her approach, she reaches out to audiences often distant from theatre spaces — especially women whose family responsibilities can keep them away — to create a direct, sensitive, and deeply human connection, where dance becomes a gesture of sharing and closeness.

This evening features two intimately connected solos by Laura “Nala” Defretin and Brandon Malboneige Masele, from the renowned Mazel Freten company, which is making waves on major stages and at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, with their blend of Electro dance and hybrid hiphop.

The evening will be followed by a Q&A.

Also to discover: Rave Lucid by Mazel Freten, on October 14 at the Block Party – L’Estive, Scène nationale de Foix et de l’Ariège.

This performance is part of the companies touring within the HYPE OCC network.

Photo © Edouard Brane

Choreography and dancer Laura Nala Defretin

Composition : Blvck Merliin

Outside eye : Brandon Masele & Youri Fedida

Co-production : Maison du Théâtre et de la Danse Epinay-sur-Seine

Soutien : Département de la Seine-Saint-Denis

Mazel Freten

1+1=2 is a solo by Brandon Malboneige Masele – Mazel Freten. Through a dance that combines the elegance of electro with the vitality of his Congolese roots, the artist explores his hybrid identity and pays tribute to the richness of his dual heritage.

This dialogue between movement and music becomes an act of love and transmission toward his children — a sensitive celebration of diversity and the beauty born from belonging to two cultures.

This evening features two intimately connected solos by Laura “Nala” Defretin and Brandon Malboneige Masele, from the renowned Mazel Freten company, which is making waves on major stages and at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, with their blend of Electro dance and hybrid hiphop.

The evening will be followed by a Q&A.

Also to discover: Rave Lucid by Mazel Freten, on October 14 at the Block Party – L’Estive, Scène nationale de Foix et de l’Ariège.

This performance is part of the companies touring within the HYPE OCC network.

Photo © Yosra Farrouj

Choreography and dancer Brandon Masele aka Malboneige

Composition : KCIV

Outside eye: Laura Defretin

Co-production : Maison du Théâtre et de la Danse Epinay-sur-Seine

Soutien : Département de la Seine-Saint-Denis

Mazel Freten

Malboneige

Drawing on the idea of the body as a site where the traces of its history are preserved, three women attempt to deconstruct what their environment has inscribed within them — the belief that, to survive, they must become what people in the housing projects call “bonhommes” (real guys). Between the desire to be oneself and the need to adapt, building oneself as a woman reflects both protection strategies and the search for individuality.

In this second creation Hidden Project, Sarah Cerneaux explores the camouflage strategies of women from marginalized urban areas (labelled in France as “Z.U.S.” — Zones Urbaines Sensibles). This process consists of blending into a hostile environment by consciously or unconsciously adopting the appearance, language, and behavior of the “oppressor.” A theme that resonates deeply with her own personal experience.

For HYPE OCC, the choreographer and her dancers are invited to an in-situ exploration of this approach — Hidden++, imagined as a distinct and evolving form. She has carte blanche to anchor this piece within both the outdoor and indoor spaces of the Agora.

Sarah Cerneaux began her dance training at the James Carlès Centre in Toulouse at age 20. In 2004, she moved to Paris and continued learning with teachers such as Corinne Lanselle, Carolyn Carlson, Julien Hamilton, and Junior Almeida, one of the French pioneers of hiphop dance culture.

Since then, she has worked with Abou Lagraa, Vincent Mantsoé, David Drouard, and Maryse Delente, among others. In 2014, she began a collaboration with Liz Roche Company (Dublin) as a performer and joined the Akram Khan Company the same year for a revival of Kaash.
After returning to France in 2017, she worked with Amala Dianor Company and decided to develop her own choreographic language.
She later founded Company La Face B and created the solo Either Way.

The performance is followed by a Q&A.

HYPE OCC presents a short version — an extension of Sarah Cerneaux’s creation — as part of camin aktion’s commitment within the Réseau Danse Occitanie.
In the same dynamic, Cie La Face B is hosted in residency at the Pôle Chorégraphique Bernard Glandier and the Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse.
HIDDEN will be presented in its full version during Mouvements sur la Ville on 4 December.

Photo © La Face B

Created by Sarah Cerneaux

Performers Sarah Cerneaux, Camille Revel, Charlotte Virgile

Original music by Stéphane Fromentin

Production Compagnie La Face B

Co-production La Place de la Danse – CDCN Toulouse Occitanie; Pôle de Développement Chorégraphique Bernard Glandier in Montpellier; CCN – Ballet de l’Opéra National du Rhin

Partners Lieu NEUFNEUF; Centre Culturel Henri-Desbals; Centre Culturel de la Reynerie; Centre Social ASSQOT; Médiathèque Grand M; La Gare aux Artistes; L’Escale – Ville de Tournefeuille; KLAP Maison pour la danse de Marseille; Agora, Cité internationale de la danse | Montpellier Danse + CCN Occitanie

With the support of DRAC Occitanie, Région Occitanie, Département de la Haute-Garonne, City of Toulouse, and SPEDIDAM (pending)

The company, through the HIDDEN Project, was awarded the Cultural Experimentation Project of the City of Toulouse 2023–24, as part of the prefiguration of the Cité de la Danse. HIDDEN Project is supported by DRAC Occitanie, Département de la Haute-Garonne, Direction des Territoires Sud, Préfecture de la Haute-Garonne (under the Politique de la Ville framework), and Région Occitanie.

Production and development Laura Terrieux – Bureau PLAYTIME

Cie La Face B

Tired of the same old battles? Never tried one but never found the right vibe? Sure you’ve got musicality — and ready to test it?

STOP EVERYTHING!
Save the date.

Hiphop, house, popping, afro, krump, dancehall, contemporary, ballet, jazz, breaking, locking, popping, electro, traditional, salsa… Come as YOU move.

4 live musicians creating the sound on the spot.
No playlist. Just pure, organic, unpredictable music.

Because it’s YOUR moment.
Because you’ll push your limits with dancers from totally different worlds.
Because the rush of a battle is something you have to live.
Because… LIVE MUSICIANS!!!

Program:
17:00 – Doors open for everyone who wants to join in: dancers, amateurs… you!

18:00 – Jam kick-off! Pre-selections in cyphers. You dance, you vibe, you shine, you share. You get picked for the battle.

19:30 – 16 selected dancers, paired up by random draw.

Then… quarter-finals… semi-finals… and the grand finale!

And as a bonus: surprise showcases (just saying… Wontanara, ring a bell? You’ll be dancing before the night’s over!)

With us: DJ @marinarabita to keep the groove alive between battles, and your host — the one and only MC @bk.

Prizes: €500 for the winning duo, plus 3 hours of individual coaching for the four finalists, and show tickets for performances at Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse.

How much?
Dancers: pay what you can, consciously.
Audience: 12€ presale / 15€ at the door.

REGISTRATION FOR PARTICIPATING DANCERS

(Otherwise… you could stay home and watch Miss France on TV. Your call.)

Photo © Ilja Tulit

Concept Virgile Dagneaux

DJ Marina Rabita

MC BK

Partnership ENSAD Montpellier, Hangar Théâtre

Virgile Virgule

Marina Rabita

BK