From Bagnols-sur-Cèze to the other side of the world, the meteoric rise of LNB Studio

Blacko and Liiyah are the founders, choreographers and artistic directors of LNB Studio. Patricia, Liiyah's mother, helps the couple with the administrative management of the school. She is also the one who does all the costume alterations. Midi Libre – C.L.

The duo Blacko and Lilyah founded a school in 2015 which today has 300 students and which will develop in Alès, an association and a company whose shows are scheduled in Avignon in particular, and wins national and international titles in their discipline, hip-hop.

Impossible not to see them. The votive festival, the Christmas festivities, the festival of urban cultures, the game festival… The dancers from LNB Studio take to the street at each event organized by the City to put on a show. The dance school, founded by Blacko and Liiyah in 2015, has continued to grow over the years. "At the beginning, we were in a 70 m2 next to the’church. It was super small but we had 170 students the first year, Liiyah recalls. For the first raga class, there was a queue from the studio to rue de la République. " Quickly, the enthusiasm took hold and the couple moved to a space of 200 m2 on avenue du Général-de-Gaulle. The walls have once again become too small and it is now at 49 avenue Léon-Blum that the more than 300 students have been dancing since 2019. "We had to do 30,000,000 euros of work to insulate the rooms.”

The school, the association and the company

The LNB Studio and its eight teachers are offering 21 different dance styles this year. "It’s hip-hop that dominates. We are basically an urban school", recalls Blacko. Long before founding the school, Blacko and Liiyah created the association EST-VIE-DANSE to dance together in competition. They then launched their company, LNB Cie. “At the beginning, the company was just our duo. We managed to put on a 1h30 show for two. When we saw that there was a certain enthusiasm, we wanted to involve the competition group." The company now has twelve dancers and offers two shows: Le voyage fantastik and Le monde enchanté. Les Bagnolais will present the two shows at the Paradise République theater in Avignon as part of the Off d’Avignon festival (1). "We started doing the Avignon festival in the street, with a hat. Now we have the chance to perform in a theater for two years."

"With nothing you can do a lot"

The result of a meteoric rise. "We start below zero and we always manage to raise the level, explains Liiyah. We are always looking for new ideas. Sometimes I'm in the car, I see a crooked tree and I immediately think of a dance position that might be good. That's the urban side, with nothing you can do a lot of things." To renew themselves, the two choreographers also draw inspiration from what is being done abroad. “We go on internships in Canada, the United States, Germany, Japan, Vietnam… Asians are among the best. You always have to train. The main driving force  is creativity, the desire to go further. We never stop", Blacko continues.

The shelf full of trophies in the studio lobby says a lot about the path they have traveled since the school was created. If the couple “never sought glory", they still achieved it. In 2022, it is the year of consecration, that of a title of hip-hop world champion in duo. Individually or in groups, the victories accumulate over the seasons for the Bagnolais dancers. "We tell our students that it's cool to win but to make an impression and leave a mark is even better." Work and humility are the watchwords within the school.

Two gala evenings

This year, the dancers skipped international competitions to "focus solely on classes and increase the level&quot ;. "It worked well. They gained confidence in themselves. We are already preparing for next year. It's going to be very rare", Blacko promises. Students will be able to put into practice what they have learned during the two end-of-year galas on June 14 and 15 on the Mont-Cotton stage (2). The school was divided in two to offer a 3-hour show per evening.

LNB Studio is developing in Alès!

This is the great new feature! in September! LNB Studio opens a school   Alès while keeping, obviously, that of Bagnols. "That’s another bet. We're launching ourselves a little into the unknown but as usual we're going to give ourselves a try. background." Blacko and Liiyah will rely on the same teachers who practice at the same level. Bagnols. À Alès, there will also be couple dance teachers.

(1) From June 29 to July 21, the LNB Cie will present its shows every day at the Paradise République theater in Avignon. quot; at 11 h nbsp; "Le voyage fantastik" at 3:20 p.m. Free on Mondays July 1st, 8th, and 15th. Information and reservations at 06 20 55 37 96. (2) Galas start at 8 p.m. Prices: 7 euros; and 10 € on June 14, 10 € and 15 € the day after. Catering on site from 7 p.m. I subscribe to read more