Josépha Madoki

Josépha Madoki, aka Princess Madoki, is a versatile artist. Initially a performer for Damien Jalet, Wayne Mc Gregor, Pierre Rigal, Ousmane Sy and Robyn Orlin, she began her work as a choreographer with the creation of Compagnie Madoki and the solo Mes mots sont tes maux (2010). In 2016, she began collaborating with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, dancing in pieces such as Babel 7.16, Stoic and Opéra Satyagraha. In 2016, she co-founded the first French waacking collective Ma Dame Paris with pieces such as Waackez-vous Français? and Oui, et vous? Josépha Madoki created her own festival, All Europe Waacking, which quickly became an important marker for the entire European waacking scene. In 2022, she created the show D.I.S.C.O. – Don’t Initiate Social Contact with Others, featuring both the world of clubbing and waacking culture on stage, against the backdrop of the social impact of forced distancing during lockdown. She took part in the choreographic creation of Starmania, l’Opéra Rock. In 2023, she choreographed Thomas Jolly’s production of Romeo and Juliet at the Opéra national de Paris. At the end of April 2024, together with the Musée d’Orsay, she proposed an event celebrating waacking culture. In 2025, she create a piece for the CCN Ballet de Lorraine.

Waacking is a social dance that originated in the clubs of Los Angeles, created by the gay African-American and Latin-American community, and originally danced to disco music. Among other things, this dance is characterized by arm movements thrown with force and control. During this workshop, Josépha Madoki will share with campers the history of waacking culture; its basics and codes, such as punking, waacking, funky steps, posing... She will also cover freestyle work, giving the tools to express oneself fully and freely. Last but not least, she will present a short extract from one of her pieces.