Oktawia Ścibior and Samory Ba are Paris-based artists who create choreographic and visual works, developed from in-depth gestural research with the medium of skating.
Initially trained as competive figure skaters, they now use the phenomenon of glide and its capacity to enable unearthly movement of human bodies through space, in order to create singular choreographic experiences.
They are actively engaged in the emergence of a contemporary approach to skating and both work with the pioneering Canadian company Le Patin Libre.
Oktawia and Samory's creations have, among others, been presented by La Briqueterie CDCN du Val-de-Marne, the National Arts Centre in Ottawa (Festival CAPSULE), Le Générateur, Micadanses, Théâtre de la Ville - Sarah Bernhardt (La Grande veillée), and Birmingham Dance Festival (screendance festival).
CREATIONS
FLOATING POINTS (Work in progress)
Supported by: Danse élargie 2026, La Briqueterie - CDCN du Val‑de‑Marne, Le Générateur
The 9th edition of Danse élargie is co-organized by the Théâtre de la Ville, the Compagnie Terrain led by Boris Charmatz, the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès, the CNDC - Angers directed by Noé Soulier, La Comédie de Valence - CDN Drôme-Ardèche directed by Marc Lainé, and the CCN - Ballet de Lorraine directed by Maud Le Pladec.
How do we find stability in a world that’s always in motion?
Floating points is a trio exploring movement with rollers and crutches, where bodies oscillate between the effort of control and surrender to inertia and gravity.
Inspired by Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of “liquid modernity,” this work in progress reflects on how individuals continuously adapt in an unstable reality, where landmarks shift and constantly reconfigure.
WITHIN A THOUSAND SUNS
Choreographic piece
CREATION 2024
CO-PRODUCTION / LA BRIQUETERIE CDCN
PREMIERE / LE GÉNÉRATEUR (GENTILLY, FRANCE)
Within A Thousand Suns is a choreographic duet developed through radical experimentation with inline skates and crutches. Drawing on the unique mechanics of gliding, the piece unveils a hybrid dance language shaped by the performers' atypical mobility.
Structured as a choreographic triptych, Within A Thousand Suns reflects on the conscious and unconscious forces that shape human behavior and interactions. The work questions our conditionings and investigates the interplay between freedom and determinism, exploring the elusive boundary between them.
Credits
choreography / interpretation OKTAWIA ŚCIBIOR / SAMORY BA musical composition JUAN CRISTÓBAL SAAVEDRA lighting design FABRICE SARCY dramaturgy LOU COPE artistic advisors RAFAËLE GIOVANOLA & RAINALD ENDRASS costumes LOUISE CARTON / OKTAWIA ŚCIBIOR
Support:
Le Générateur, Ballet du Nord CCN et Vous!, CCN de Créteil et Val-de-Marne, Théâtre L'Échangeur, Ville de Vitry-sur-Seine, Département du Val-de-Marne, Théâtre du Crochetan
ROLLING BODIES
Participatory Artistic Experience
CREATION 2025
CO-PRODUCTION: LE GÉNÉRATEUR
PREMIERE / LE LAVOIR NUMÉRIQUE (FRANCE)
Rolling Bodies is an immersive and participatory artistic experience that combines video projection, a contemporary skating performance, and a choreographic workshop using office chairs. It revolves around a sensitive exploration of gliding, envisioned as both a poetic material and a tool for artistic creation and expression.
Open to all audiences, this experience invites everyone to immerse themselves in a gestural universe where gravity seems to vanish.
Credits
concept / choreography / interpretation OKTAWIA ŚCIBIOR / SAMORY BA artistic advisor GUILLAUME CEFELMAN
RÊVERIE
Screendance
CREATION 2020
PREMIERE / FESTIVAL CAPSULE (CANADA)
THE FILM
Selection
Festival CAPSULE National Arts Centre (CAN),
Birmingham International Dance Festival (UK),
International Meeting of Video Dance and Video Performance (FR),
Nice Dance Film (FR),
Frame Rush Festival London (UK),
Híbrido Festival (BRA),
Cinematica Festival Ancona (IT),
FIVC International Screendance Festival (CHL)
Rêverie is a screendance created during the 2020 lockdown in France. It proposes a hypnotic visual experience based on fluid gliding motions over a grounded viewpoint.
Credits
concept / choreography / interpretation OKTAWIA ŚCIBIOR / SAMORY BA music JASMIN BOIVIN video editing OKTAWIA ŚCIBIOR
BIOGRAPHY
OKTAWIA ŚCIBIOR
Oktawia Ścibior is a skating artist and choreographer born in Warsaw (Poland) and living in Paris (France). For 15 years, she trained as a high-level competitive figure skater, earning a bronze medal at the Polish Nationals in 2003. Following her athletic career, Oktawia studied Physics and later Bioinformatics, obtaining Master’s degrees in both fields. Additionally, she trained in jazz dance at the National Centre for Culture in Poland and performed in numerous traditional skating shows across Europe.
In 2013, she discovered contemporary skating through the works of the company Le Patin Libre. Since that time, she has been engaged in the development of a contemporary approach to skating, recognizing the medium’s vast potential for artistic exploration. In 2016, she founded Slippery Art Project, an association aiming to nurture the emergence of artistic creation via skating. This led her to collaborate with several artists on various contemporary skating projects in France.
Since 2018, she has been performing in the piece Murmuration by Le Patin Libre. She also closely collaborates with Samory Ba, experimenting with gliding movements on inline skates.
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SAMORY BA
Samory Ba is a French skating-artist and choreographer of Senegalese origin. A former international high-level figure skating competitor, Samory transitioned to a professional career with several renowned ice show companies. His long-standing fascination with the unique choreographic possibilities of skating eventually led him to redirect his focus towards developing a modern approach to this traditional discipline, exploring innovative possibilities within the medium. In 2010, he became one of the founding members of Le Patin Libre, a Quebec-based collective of cutting-edge skating artists. Together, they laid the foundations for a modern approach to skating and created the groundbreaking piece Vertical Influences, which had its world premiere at the Dance Umbrella Festival in London (2014). The piece received a 5-star review from The Guardian and quickly gained international recognition, becoming part of prestigious programming such as Théâtre de la Ville - Sarah Bernhardt, the Holland Dance Festival, and the National Arts Centre of Canada. With Le Patin Libre, Samory continued to push the boundaries of contemporary skating, co-creating the acclaimed works Threshold (2018) and Murmuration (2022). These pieces have been instrumental in popularizing contemporary skating on the global stage. Since 2019, Samory has also collaborated with Oktawia Ścibior on various research and creation projects, exploring the artistic potential of skating as a medium, beyond the current confines of the form.
N° RNA W92201052 N° SIRET 82401447600017 Licence d'entrepreneur du spectacle n°2: PLATESV-D-2021-004783
Images by: Emilee Seymour, Bernard Bousquet, Thibault Paris, Morgan Eloi (Moovance), Alexis Komenda ©2024 Slippery Art Project