“Continue to dance”, the song that has become a flashmob and an anthem in defense of socialization and cultural activities in Europe

Created last December, the song “To dance again” (Keep dancing), of the group HK and Saltimbanks, became in a few weeks a symbol for those who demand the return of cultural activities in France. Across the country, groups of people came to sing and dance in the squares, while versions were made in other languages.

This is the surprising story of a song that has become the symbol of a whole protest: for the past few months, events have been organized throughout France, in the form of “Flashmobs”, in which people come together to sing and dance to the rhythm of “Dance Again”.

The song appeared in December 2020 on social networks, and directly refers to the restrictions announced at the end of October, which notably caused the closure of cultural places that have not reopened since. The theme, which advocates the reactivation of culture, had a notable echo in the movement to occupy theaters.

“We want to continue dancing / See how our thoughts embrace our body / Spend our life in a grid of agreements // Self-counter-work-consumption / Self-certification that we sign / absurdity with prescription / And woe to him who think / And woe to the one who dances // Any authoritarian measure / Any trace of security / It blows our confidence / They try so hard / To confine our conscience “, says the lyrics to” Dance again “

Paris, Marseille, La Rochelle, Lille, Nancy, Clermont-Ferrand… Every corner of France joins and continues to join the musical and festive movement.

The movement has crossed the borders of France and spread abroad. There are now versions in Spanish, German or Portuguese.

A flashmob of “Continue to dance”, in front of the cathedral of Barcelona, ​​Spain

A criticism leveled against him is that many people present do not wear masks and do not respect distances. Asked about this by the Huffington Post, Kaddour Hadadi, alias HK, replied that “To say that we are responsible is a bit strong (…). This is totally disproportionate for 2000 people who, for 30 minutes, outside, are happy to be together“, he said, comparing it to crowded stores and transportation, and recalling that outdoor concentrations so far haven’t caused many infections.

The group, originally from the city of Lille, is known for its social commitments. The leader of the radical left party La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, had taken another of his songs (“We let nothing”, let’s not give up anything) as the hymn of his electoral campaign in 2012.

With RFI information

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