Performance explores body and transformation
Zoé Lakhnati and Claudia Atletica, a vice-world champion in bodybuilding who calls herself a "corporal sculptor," have created a performance piece that examines the body as a medium for extreme transformation and the stage as a space for sharing these changes. The performance, titled Claudia the Virgin, challenges how bodies are represented in relation to cultural, religious, and media influences.Symbolic contrast in the performance
The piece highlights the tension between two symbolic figures: one representing the Virgin Mary, associated with purity, passivity, and a form of disembodiment, and the other symbolizing a bodyguard, embodying a muscular, fully present body. Claudia Atletica and Zoé Lakhnati aim to reinterpret these images, transforming their meanings through their performance.Choreography based on collaboration
On stage, the two performers develop a choreographic piece centered on listening and mutual support. Each performer protects the other's body, creating a dance that navigates ambiguous and in-between spaces, reflecting the complexity of identity and transformation.Performance schedule and locations
The performance was created on July 8, 2026, at Vive le sujet ! Tentatives with SACD at the Avignon Festival. It is set to be performed on multiple dates and locations, including Paris, Marseille, Fosses, Bastia, and Sète, starting in November 2026 and continuing through May 2027.Production team and collaborators
The production team includes choreography and performance by Zoé Lakhnati, artistic collaboration and performance by Claudia Atletica, choreographic assistance by Nassim Baddag, music composition by Paul JF Fleury, lighting design by Tom Bourdon, text and voiceover by CHOUF, costumes by Armine Ohanyan, sculptures by Emilie Dezeuze, and production, distribution, and artistic accompaniment by Anouk Dupont-Seignour. Additional support comes from various institutions and organizations.
