Josepha "Princess" Madoki,
Choreographer, Artistic director, Dancer
Josépha Madoki, also known as Princess Madoki, is a multifaceted artist. Initially a performer for Damien Jalet, Wayne McGregor, Pierre Rigal, Ousmane Sy, and Robyn Orlin, she began her choreographic work with the creation of Cie Madoki and her solo “Mes mots sont tes maux” (2010).
In 2013, she started collaborating with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, dancing in works such as “A Season in the Congo,” “Babel 7.16,” “Satyagraha” Opera, “Alceste” Opera, and “Stoic” with the Göteborg Ballet. She was also invited to collaborate with Beyoncé in the music video “Apeshit” filmed at the Louvre Museum.
Josépha Madoki is often seen as a leading figure of a culture that is increasingly developing in France and across Europe: Waacking.
In 2016, Princess Madoki co-founded the first French Waacking collective, Ma Dame Paris. She created shows that highlight this aesthetic, with productions like “Waackez-vous Français?” and “Oui, et vous?”
In 2019, she launched her own Waacking festival in Paris: the All Europe Waacking Festival. Over the years, this event has become a pivotal gathering for the European Waacking scene.
In 2022, with Compagnie Madoki, she created the show “D.I.S.C.O. – Don’t Initiate Social Contact with Others,” which honored the clubbing universe and Waacking culture on stage, set against the social impact of forced distancing during lockdown.
That same year, Josépha Madoki participated in the Rock Opera STARMANIA as assistant choreographer to her mentor over time, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. She also collaborated with prominent director Thomas Jolly who, following this project, asked her to choreograph his latest production at the Paris Opera in 2023: “Roméo et Juliette.”
Throughout her career in dance, creation, and collaboration, Josépha Madoki has developed a choreographic writing based on the aesthetics of Waacking. As a trainer and unifier, she contributes to the transmission of this dance to new generations, helping to secure a significant place for Waacking in the choreographic landscape in France and internationally.