Cie Racines Carrées

What Cie Racines Carrées does

Cie Racines Carrées is a French performing arts company founded in 2010 by choreographer Nabil Ouelhadj, headquartered at 26 Rue de Turenne in Roubaix and organized as a Loi 1901 non-profit association. The company creates and tours original hip-hop and urban dance productions that integrate multidisciplinary elements such as video-mapping, live beatbox, theremin, trampoline-based choreography, and participatory audience choreography. Its active repertoire comprises 10 original productions spanning formats for young audiences (À Deux Mains, Monte et Souris, ages 2+), all-public shows (ÇA DÉMÉNAGE!, Crazy Car, Itinéraire Bis, CLICKTATURE, OCEANS, HipHopite Chronique), and short-form pieces (9.81, Horizon Vertical, Bon App'!), with cumulative performances exceeding 1,700 across 20+ countries.

The business model blends three revenue streams: live performance fees from theater and festival bookings (one-time licensing), pedagogical and training services (masterclasses, state diploma preparation, university seminars, prison and social-sector workshops), and public subsidies and coproduction funding from the Ministère de la Culture, DRAC Hauts-de-France, regional councils, and the Ville de Roubaix. Distribution is anchored by a long-term residency at Le Phénix Scène nationale de Valenciennes and coproduction agreements with national choreographic centers (CCN Roubaix, CCN Créteil, CCN La Rochelle) and the Ballet du Nord. The company operates with a lean team of 6 staff (artistic direction, production/administration, and diffusion) and reaches audiences aged 2 to 96 through theatrical, festival, school, and international touring circuits.

Name

Cie Racines Carrées

Legal name

Cie Racines Carrées

Website

https://cieracinescarrees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cie Racines Carrées is a Roubaix-based French hip-hop dance company founded in 2010 that creates and tours 10 original multidisciplinary productions across theaters, festivals, schools, and international venues, serving audiences aged 2 to 96.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Contemporary Dance Theater

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

Keywords

• Hip-hop dance theater
• Urban dance performances
• Choreographic productions
• Dance pedagogy
• Artistic residencies

Headquarters

HQ city

Roubaix

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Performance Fees: Revenue generated from theater bookings, festival performances, and touring engagements. The company performs at scenes nationales, CCNs, theaters, and festivals across France and internationally. Both school (scolaire) and general public (tout public) pricing structures are applied.
2. Pedagogical and Training Services: Income from formations, masterclasses, and educational workshops delivered at conservatories, universities, and cultural institutions. Includes international training programs and conference-danced presentations on hip hop culture.
3. Public Subsidies and Coproductions: The company receives support from the Ministère de la Culture, DRAC Hauts-de-France, and regional councils (Région Nord-Pas de Calais). Coproduction agreements with CCNs and scenes nationales provide production funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cie Racines Carrées conceives, produces, and tours original hip-hop and urban dance stage productions combining choreography with video mapping, live music, beatbox, theremin, and trampoline elements. Beyond touring 10 original productions to theaters and festivals in France and internationally, the company delivers paid pedagogic workshops, formations, and masterclasses targeting conservatories, universities, schools, and cultural institutions.

Product overview

Cie Racines Carrées is a French performing arts company founded in 2010 by Nabil Ouelhadj, specializing in hip-hop and urban dance theater. The company operates a portfolio of 10 original productions in its repertoire, including stage shows (CLICKTATURE, Ça Déménage!, HipHopite Chronique, Itinéraire Bis, À Deux Mains, Monte et Souris, Crazy Car, Bon App'!, Horizon Vertical, 9.81, Oceans), supplemented by a video library (Vidéothèque) documenting performances and behind-the-scenes content. Beyond production, the company delivers pedagogical programs (Pédagogie) and professional training (Formations et Enseignements) in hip-hop dance and artistic pedagogy internationally, and engages in artistic collaborations with other choreographers and companies. The portfolio spans all-public and children-specific productions, and ranges from intimate performances to large-scale touring shows with multimedia elements (video mapping, live music, beatbox, trampoline, and participatory choreography).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CLICKTATURE A dance performance blending hip-hop, algorithmic poetry, and digital art, exploring digital identity and avatar creation through multidimensional choreography incorporating live theremin and digital art. Bookable by theaters, festivals, and schools.
• ÇA DÉMÉNAGE! A hip-hop dance performance using trampoline as a spring and constraint for movement. Bookable as a turnkey touring show for theaters and festivals. Duration 55 minutes.
• HIPHOPITE CHRONIQUE A hip-hop concert and dance performance celebrating hip-hop culture as a creative force through hip-hop dance, spoken word, and live music. Tour-ready production for festivals and theaters.
• ITINÉRAIRE BIS Choreographic sequel to Crazy Car combining video mapping, live music, beatbox, and urban dance in and around a van serving as stage. Duration 1 hour 10 minutes. For young audiences and general public.
• À DEUX MAINS Children's dance performance centered on a poetic, minimalist use of hands, drawing young audiences into a nighttime journey of imagination. Duration 25–35 minutes; designed for school and family audiences.
• MONTE ET SOURIS Children's performance combining dance, words, sounds, and play, following two young apprentices into the world of books. Duration 30 minutes; aimed at school and family audiences.
• CRAZY CAR Original signature production in which a van serves as performance space for dancers and a beatboxer, exploring multiple spaces and energies through hip-hop dance, live music, and beatbox. Duration 30 minutes.
• BON APP'! Dance performance questioning food, well-being, and balance, using pico-projections and mobile video to externalize bodily sensations. Includes a 15-minute audience participatory choreography. Duration 35 + 15 minutes.
• HORIZON VERTICAL Dance performance exploring the freedom — real or virtual — of contemporary life in a hyper-connected world, closing with collective participatory choreography using audience mobile phones. Duration 30 + 20 minutes participatory.
• 9.81 A hip-hop duo on trampoline engaging with gravity through dance on a canvas; bodies are projected mid-air, accompanied by a text from Arthur H. Duration 15 minutes; available as a turnkey touring piece.
• OCEANS A dance performance creating an encounter between urban dance and documentary cinema, with dancers taking the place of aquatic animals in a submarine journey. Set to music by Bruno Coulais.
• Pédagogie (Pedagogical Actions) Educational and pedagogical programs including artistic workshops for children, adults, people with disabilities, and schools; masterclasses, creative laboratories, conferences, and training for teachers and cultural workers, framing hip-hop dance as a vector for personal and collective emancipation.
• Formations et Enseignements (Training and Teaching) Professional training and teaching programs delivered for 20 years in cities including New York, Paris, Luxembourg, Phnom Penh, Nouméa, and Florence, covering hip-hop dance pedagogy, state diplomas, seminars, and international conferences on hip-hop culture.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1700+ performances delivered across 20+ countries since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phénix – Scène nationale de ValenciennescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company holds the position of 'Artiste associé' at Le Phénix as part of a long-term territorial residency (résidence longue de territoire). Multiple productions have been coproduced and premiered at this venue. ÇA DÉMÉNAGE! was performed multiple times in December 2021 at this venue.
• Ballet du Nord / Olivier DuboiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ballet du Nord (now Ballet du Nord – Olivier Dubois, CDN de Roubaix) is a coproduction partner, notably for Itinéraire Bis, and provides institutional support as a major national choreographic center in the company's home city of Roubaix.
• Centre Chorégraphique National de Créteil et du Val-de-Marne / Mourad MerzoukicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCN Créteil, directed by Mourad Merzouki (Compagnie Käfig), coproduced ÇA DÉMÉNAGE! and Itinéraire Bis, providing studio residency (Accueil Studio) and institutional support. Multiple performances of ÇA DÉMÉNAGE! have been held at MAC Créteil.
• CCN de La Rochelle – Kader AttouminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CCN de La Rochelle, directed by Kader Attou, coproduced Itinéraire Bis alongside other CCN partners, contributing to the pluridisciplinary creation involving mapping and live music.
• Centre Chorégraphique National Roubaix Hauts-de-France – Sylvain GroudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCN Roubaix, directed by Sylvain Groud, is both a coproduction partner (Horizon Vertical, ÇA DÉMÉNAGE!) and institutional host, located in the company's home city of Roubaix.
• Institut du Monde Arabe de TourcoingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company created a video-mapping and dance performance for the inauguration of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Tourcoing (inauguration mapping vidéo), attracting several thousand spectators.
• Brussels PhilharmonicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Brussels Philharmonic on artistic projects, contributing to the company's international and multidisciplinary reach.
• Festival J2K LavalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual festival partner hosting multiple Cie Racines Carrées productions (Hiphopite Chronique, Monte et Souris, Bon App') every October. The festival also presents conferences and dance-related programming featuring the company.
• Pôle en Scènes / Centre Chorégraphik Pôle PikminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidency hosting partner for Clicktature and other productions, providing studio space and institutional support for creation and development.
• Théâtre Jean Vilar de SuresnesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner venue with a logo on the partners page, indicating ongoing performance and collaboration relationship.
• Théâtre Anne de Bretagne (Vannes)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner venue with a logo on the partners page, indicating ongoing performance and collaboration relationship.
• CNCDC ChâteauvallonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner venue with a logo on the partners page, indicating ongoing performance and collaboration relationship.
• IFC (Institut Français de Cali / International)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner with a logo on the partners page, suggesting institutional support for international touring or cultural exchange.
• MFW (Maison Folie Wambrechies)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner venue with a logo on the partners page.
• JFC Deutschland (Jugendfilmclub)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner organization with a logo on the partners page, suggesting collaboration with German cultural networks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Compagnie José Montalvo: José Montalvo is a French choreographer known for hip-hop and contemporary dance theater hybrids. Cie Racines Carrées collaborated with him on Lille 3000 parade projects, positioning him as a peer with overlapping aesthetic and institutional networks.
• Compagnie Kader Attou / CCN La Rochelle: Kader Attou directs the CCN de La Rochelle and produces hip-hop dance theater productions with international touring reach. Cie Racines Carrées already partners with CCN La Rochelle on Itinéraire Bis, and the two compete for the same institutional coproduction and festival slots.
• Compagnie Käfig (Mourad Merzouki): Founded by Mourad Merzouki and based at CCN de Créteil, Compagnie Käfig is one of France's flagship hip-hop dance theater companies. It is a direct peer and existing coproduction partner (CCN de Créteil partnered on ÇA DÉMÉNAGE!) producing multidisciplinary urban dance productions for both all-ages and youth audiences.
• Compagnie Wanted Posse: Paris-based hip-hop dance collective that built international touring circuits through a mix of theatrical productions and urban dance showcases. Comparable in its combination of b-boy roots with theatrical staging and international festival programming.
• Pockemon Crew: French hip-hop dance company from Saint-Étienne that combines b-boying with theatrical narrative and multimedia, mirroring Cie Racines Carrées' multidisciplinary hip-hop dance theater approach. Both target young and family audiences via touring shows.
• Compagnie Farid Berki: French hip-hop dancer and choreographer who has collaborated with Cie Racines Carrées on 'Yemen'. Operates as a peer hip-hop choreographer producing multidisciplinary stage works and pedagogy programs.

Emerging players

• Compagnie Massala: French hip-hop dance company producing touring productions that blend urban dance with contemporary theatrical formats. Comparable as an emerging peer in the hip-hop dance theater niche with similar touring and youth-audience focus.
• Compagnie Sixième Sens: Collaborator on Diaspora and Clepsydre with Cie Racines Carrées. A smaller-scale French hip-hop dance company with partial overlap in repertoire themes and an emerging institutional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Ballet du Nord / Olivier Dubois: CDN de Roubaix and a core institutional partner of Cie Racines Carrées (Itinéraire Bis coproduction). While broader than a hip-hop specialist, it shares the same Roubaix base, CCN-style institutional backing, and touring circuit overlap.
• Centre Chorégraphique National de Roubaix Hauts-de-France (Sylvain Groud): Local Roubaix CCN directed by Sylvain Groud and a confirmed coproduction partner (Horizon Vertical, ÇA DÉMÉNAGE!). Functions as both institutional host and broader contemporary dance peer in the same regional ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cie-Racines-Carr%C3%A9es-948442671895679
• Instagraminstagram.com/cie_racinescarrees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cie-racines-carr%C3%A9es

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cie Racines Carrées