MALDONNE is a dance work for five female performers in which French choreographer Leïla Ka explores femininity through the relationship between the body and clothing. Forty different dresses appear on stage, ranging from wedding gowns and evening dresses to everyday clothes. They dazzle, constrain and provoke the bodies that wear them. Ka addresses fragility, defiance and the multiple identities that intersect within women’s experience.

 

The work is her first group choreography and was nominated for The Bloom Prize 2025 as part of The Rose International Dance Prize at Sadler’s Wells in London. Critics have praised its powerful message, rich symbolism and the authentic voice of a generation longing for freedom.

 

Leïla Ka is a French choreographer whose work draws on urban and contemporary influences. As a dancer, she performed in works by Maguy Marin. As a choreographer, she has collaborated with Beyoncé, the Chilean National Ballet and the César Awards. Her works have been presented in more than 20 countries. She received the Danse Élargie Award and was nominated for The Bloom Prize 2025 at Sadler’s Wells for MALDONNE.

 

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