It's a story rich with imagery and drenched with struggle and despair. But for Pennsylvania Dance Theatre artistic director Andre Koslowski, this weekend's performance of Mimoun at the newly refurbished State Theatre is the realization of a personal dream -- a dream that began 16 years ago on a rainy afternoon in a London bookshop.

"I wanted something to read, and I happened to grab the novel Mimoun by Raphael Chirbes," the German-born Koslowski said.

"I went home and read the whole thing, and I thought it would be a great story to make into a dance theatre piece."

Koslowski will perform the original solo piece, which he collaborated on with composer Douglas Levine and set designer Susana Amundarain, at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday at the State Theatre.

It wasn't until years after first reading Mimoun, however, that Koslowski's idea began to take shape.

"When I moved to America, I packed three books in my suitcase -- and for some weird reason, Mimoun was one of them," he said.

"I read it again a couple years ago,
and there was a very personal element
to it. Things had happened in my life ...
I moved away from Europe to what
felt like a very foreign place to me.
And I decided it was time to make that piece."

Mimoun tells the story of a Madrid writer who travels to Morocco seeking inspiration but instead falls victim to destruction as he struggles to survive in an unfamiliar environment.

"It's really about a guy who hopes to get his life back on track, but falls into this downward spiral that takes him to the worst place ever imagined," Koslowski said. "There seems to be a spell on this town that draws Westerners to it and then destroys them."

Levine, the composer, said the 10-movement piece was influenced by the indigenous Moroccans' Berber music and Western European song.

"At one point, there is a battle between the European and the Moroccan music," he said.

"It literally alternates between very dark and turbulent ethnic sound and Western European sound ... as the protagonist is struggling to maintain his own identity while at the same time being pulled into this new culture."

Levine described this weekend's performance as a "rare opportunity" for community members to enjoy live music set to choreography.

"It's a very unique piece, and it's an incredibly difficult piece for Andre to dance," he said.

"It's brutally difficult. By the end of the performance, your heart goes out to the dancer. He really puts his heart into it."

State Theatre programming manager Joe Apfelbaum said he expects Mimoun to be a high-quality performance.

"It's great local musicians being featured in a really, really nice place," he said.

"The sound in this theatre is just amazing ... I think the performance is going to be even better because it's here."

Koslowski said the performance kicks off a "great season" for the Pennsylvania Dance Theatre, which is the State Theatre's resident dance company.

"This is kind of our big opening," he said. "And I think the intimacy of the theatre and the size of the stage really lends itself well to the solo performance."