Jolie Ngemi / Bosangani
Double Bill
Dates
fri 08 nov 2024 - 20:00
sat 09 nov 2024 - 20:00
location
Theaterstudio
price
€ 10 → 30
duration
2h 30' interval
ca. 20:40
Jolie Ngemi blends Congolese magic and trance and gives space to young talent.
The Congolese, Swiss-based choreographer Jolie Ngemi founded the Bosangani International Dance Festival in 2021. The festival takes place in Kinshasa and showcases the city’s lively dance scene. The dance styles on display range from hip hop to contemporary and traditional dances.
During this double bill, you first experience Ngemi’s solo Nkisi. Nkisi, from the Lingala, means 'remedy', ‘witch’, ‘witchcraft’, and ‘medicine’, and alludes to sacred images. In the past, some women, associated with Nkisi, were important to Congolese kings as mediators with the supernatural. These days, Congolese society sees magic as taboo, under the influence of Christianity from colonisation. Ngemi emphasises the importance of these practices for contemporary crises, explores the role of Nkisi women today and reintroduces their knowledge and powers. She combines trance and Nkisi influences in a unique performance that balances between science fiction and witchcraft.
For the second part of the evening, Ngemi puts together a dance programme with works by the up-and-coming artists Tina Bokata, Guelord Vulu and the duo Ambassa Kibala and Isaac Tshipemba. The three performances highlight the diverse dance expressions that are characteristic of the Bosangani Festival.
During this double bill, you first experience Ngemi’s solo Nkisi. Nkisi, from the Lingala, means 'remedy', ‘witch’, ‘witchcraft’, and ‘medicine’, and alludes to sacred images. In the past, some women, associated with Nkisi, were important to Congolese kings as mediators with the supernatural. These days, Congolese society sees magic as taboo, under the influence of Christianity from colonisation. Ngemi emphasises the importance of these practices for contemporary crises, explores the role of Nkisi women today and reintroduces their knowledge and powers. She combines trance and Nkisi influences in a unique performance that balances between science fiction and witchcraft.
For the second part of the evening, Ngemi puts together a dance programme with works by the up-and-coming artists Tina Bokata, Guelord Vulu and the duo Ambassa Kibala and Isaac Tshipemba. The three performances highlight the diverse dance expressions that are characteristic of the Bosangani Festival.
Credits
bosangani presents
nkisi
choreography
dramaturgy
scenography
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