Compagnie Käfig
Compagnie Käfig is a French nonprofit contemporary dance company, founded in 1996 by Mourad Merzouki, that creates and internationally tours more than 30 productions fusing hip-hop and other disciplines, funded by the French Ministry of Culture, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and touring partners across nearly 60 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersBron, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Compagnie Käfig does
Compagnie Käfig is a French nonprofit (loi 1901) contemporary dance company founded in 1996 by choreographer Mourad Merzouki and headquartered at the Centre chorégraphique Pôle Pik in Bron, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its core product is the creation, production, and international touring of contemporary dance works — more than 30 productions in active repertoire — that fuse hip-hop vocabulary with other movement and theatrical disciplines. Over three decades the company has delivered more than 2,800 performances in nearly 60 countries, establishing a global touring circuit alongside long-running repertoire-transmission partnerships with cultural institutions in China, India, Colombia, Chile, and Egypt.
The business model is a publicly funded cultural-nonprofit model. Operating revenue is assembled from multi-year subsidies granted by the French Ministry of Culture, the Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and host municipalities, supplemented by co-production contributions from international presenters, touring fees from festivals and venues, and ancillary income from transmission/pedagogical programs. Distribution occurs through live international touring, festival presentation (notably the company's own Festival Kalypso launched in 2024), and digital channels including MOOC and streaming platforms; digital-arts integration is exemplified by productions such as 'Pixel'. In 2024 the company ended a 13-year residency at the CCN de Créteil to operate independently from Pôle Pik, while continuing to commission new works through 2026 and expanding its curatorial footprint via Festival Kalypso.
Compagnie Käfig firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Compagnie Käfig
- Legal name
- Compagnie Käfig
- Website
- https://kafig.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Compagnie Käfig is a French nonprofit contemporary dance company, founded in 1996 by Mourad Merzouki, that creates and internationally tours more than 30 productions fusing hip-hop and other disciplines, funded by the French Ministry of Culture, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and touring partners across nearly 60 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Compagnie Käfig industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts — Contemporary Dance
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (71112)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC)
Keywords
Where Compagnie Käfig is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bron, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Compagnie Käfig business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Performance Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales for live performances at theaters, festivals, and cultural venues across France and internationally
- Public Funding: Sustained support from Ministry of Culture, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and other public institutions
- International Transmission Services: Teaching and licensing of repertoire pieces to international dance companies in China, India, Colombia, Chile, and Egypt
- Co-productions: Partnership productions with theaters and cultural institutions that provide financial and logistical support for new creations
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Compagnie Käfig product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Compagnie Käfig creates, produces, and tours original contemporary dance productions that fuse hip-hop with classical/baroque music, circus arts, vertical/aerial dance, and digital media. Beyond its portfolio of 30+ live shows, the company operates cultural services including the annual Festival Kalypso hip-hop festival, the Concours Dialogues choreographic competition, amateur dance programs, international repertoire transmission, and a MOOC Hip-Hop educational platform, all under the artistic direction of Mourad Merzouki.
Product overview
Compagnie Käfig is a French dance and choreography company directed by Mourad Merzouki, serving as a National Choreographic Center (CCN) in Créteil and Val-de-Marne with its headquarters at Centre chorégraphique Pôle Pik in Bron, France. The company operates as a portfolio of dance productions and cultural services rather than a unified software platform. The core portfolio includes over 30 original dance productions spanning from the signature piece Récital (1998) to upcoming creations in 2026, featuring works like Pixel (digital arts integration), Vertikal (vertical dance), Zéphyr, FOLIA (baroque music fusion), and the latest 2024-2026 creations (Babel, Catwalk, Beauséjour, La Couleur de la grenade, Mosaïk, Peau d'âme, Récital 2026). Supporting services include Festival Kalypso (annual hip-hop festival), Jour de Fête (amateur dance celebration), the Choreographic Competition Dialogues, international transmission programs for Récital repertoire, a Hip-Hop MOOC, and documentary productions. The company also engages in artistic residencies, outreach activities (140+ projects annually), and cultural projects in museums. After 13 years at CCN Créteil, the company continues developing its artistic project independently while maintaining openness to diverse choreographic languages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 2800+ performances in nearly 60 countries over 20 years
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Compagnie Käfig
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Compagnie Käfig technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Compagnie Käfig partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Teatro del Lago (Chile)majorThree-year partnership initiated in 2019 combining programming, transmission, and cultural exchanges, supported by the Mustakis Foundation.
- Académie FratellinimajorPartnership for Terrain Vague re-creation in the grand chapiteau and circus-dance fusion projects, including annual Christmas show.
- Festival Kalypso Partners (40+ venues)coreFestival Kalypso, founded by CCN de Créteil, has grown to include over 40 partner venues across Île-de-France, attracting 50,000+ spectators annually with 50+ companies programmed.
- Centre Chorégraphique National de Créteil et du Val-de-MarnecoreMourad Merzouki was appointed director of the CCN de Créteil et du Val-de-Marne in June 2009, serving until 2019. This national choreographic center became the base for extensive programming, community outreach, and the Festival Kalypso.
- Centre Chorégraphique Pôle PikcoreMourad Merzouki's company relocated from Saint-Priest to the new Centre Chorégraphique Pôle Pik in Bron in April 2009, a space dedicated to hip-hop dance and the first of its kind in the region. The facility has hosted nearly 100 companies for residences since its inauguration.
- Biennale de la Danse (Lyon)coreLong-standing relationship with Guy Darmet and the Biennale de la Danse. Mourad Merzouki co-directed the 2012 Défilé with Dominique Hervieu, presenting Récital with 40 dancers at Place Bellecour.
- Théâtre Théo Argence - Ville de Saint-PriestmajorThe company maintains an artistic residence at Théâtre Théo Argence in Saint-Priest, continuing a long-standing relationship from the early days of the company.
- Pôle en ScènesmajorPartner organization supporting the activities of the choreographic center in the Rhône-Alpes region.
- Institut Français d'ÉgyptemajorCollaboration with CCN de la Rochelle and Rezodanse centre to support emerging hip-hop talents in Egypt through workshop sessions.
- CCN de la RochelleminorPartnership for professionalization program supporting hip-hop scene development in Egypt.
- Rezodanse Centre (Egypt)minorLocal partner for hip-hop professionalization workshops in Egypt.
- Concert de l'Hostel DieumajorCollaboration for FOLIA creation, performing baroque music live on stage and blending hip-hop with classical repertoire.
- Compagnie RetouramontmajorVertical dance company providing aerial scenic space for Vertikal creation, merging hip-hop with vertical dance.
- Espace Albert Camus (Bron)majorLong-standing venue partnership since the company's founding, hosting all Käfig performances in Bron and launching the Karavel festival.
- La VillettemajorMajor Paris venue hosting Phénix, Zéphyr, and other company productions.
- Maison de la Danse (Lyon)coreHistoric venue that first opened its doors to hip-hop dance and supported Mourad Merzouki's early work, continuing partnership for 30 years.
- Nuits de FourvièremajorMajor festival where FOLIA premiered in 2018, opening the festival with hip-hop and baroque music fusion.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Compagnie Käfig competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Compagnie Maguy Marin: French contemporary dance company with a National Choreographic Center, comparable public funding, international touring repertoire, and signature long-running productions. Operates in the same French dance ecosystem.
- Ballet Preljocaj: Major French contemporary ballet company with similar touring scale, public-subsidy funding base, interdisciplinary productions, and international co-productions. Closely comparable in size, mission, and operating model.
- Centre Chorégraphique National de Rillieux-la-Pape (Direction Yuval Pick): Another French National Choreographic Center with comparable structure, public funding model, touring repertoire, and educational mission. Direct institutional and operational peer to Käfig.
- Compagnie Chicos Mambo: French hip-hop dance company with comparable touring productions, festival circuit presence, and public funding base. Closely comparable in scale and target audience.
- Compagnie Accrorap: Hip-hop dance company founded by Mourad Merzouki in 1989 (predecessor to Käfig), still active with its own repertoire and touring. Direct genre peer and historically linked to the subject company.
Broad incumbents
- La Villette: Major Parisian cultural venue and producer hosting Käfig productions (Phénix, Zéphyr). Comparable as a programming entity and long-standing venue partner rather than direct dance-company competitor.
- Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: Iconic international contemporary dance company with a large touring repertoire and institutional funding. Larger in scale but comparable as a benchmark for global touring dance production and brand-led programming.
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Established American modern/hip-hop-rooted dance company with international touring, educational outreach, and signature repertoire. Comparable scale, mission, and touring business model.
- Festival d'Avignon: France's largest performing arts festival with comparable public funding base, large-scale programming, and international co-production network. Comparable as a flagship cultural institution in the same ecosystem.
Regional players
- Nuits de Fourvière: Major Lyon-based performing arts festival where Käfig's FOLIA premiered. Functions as both venue partner and comparable large-scale French summer festival with overlapping programming and audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Compagnie Käfig social profiles
Digital presenceCompagnie Käfig financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Compagnie Käfig leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Compagnie Käfig funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Compagnie Käfig M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Compagnie Käfig
What does Compagnie Käfig do?
Compagnie Käfig creates, produces, and tours original contemporary dance productions that fuse hip-hop with classical/baroque music, circus arts, vertical/aerial dance, and digital media. Beyond its portfolio of 30+ live shows, the company operates cultural services including the annual Festival Kalypso hip-hop festival, the Concours Dialogues choreographic competition, amateur dance programs, international repertoire transmission, and a MOOC Hip-Hop educational platform, all under the artistic direction of Mourad Merzouki.
Is Compagnie Käfig a public or private company?
Compagnie Käfig is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Compagnie Käfig founded?
Compagnie Käfig was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Compagnie Käfig based?
Compagnie Käfig is headquartered in Bron, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, in the Europe region.
How does Compagnie Käfig make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Performance Revenue is the primary driver. The others are public Funding, international Transmission Services and co-productions.
Who are Compagnie Käfig's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Compagnie Maguy Marin, Ballet Preljocaj, Centre Chorégraphique National de Rillieux-la-Pape (Direction Yuval Pick), Compagnie Chicos Mambo and Compagnie Accrorap. Broad incumbents are La Villette, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Festival d'Avignon. Nuits de Fourvière is listed as a regional player.
Does Compagnie Käfig have an API?
No public API is recorded for Compagnie Käfig.
What industry is Compagnie Käfig in?
Compagnie Käfig's product category is Performing Arts — Contemporary Dance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAB, Contemporary & Modern Dance, with a secondary code of EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance). Its NAICS code is 71112 and its SIC code is 7900.