Sorcières / Kimpa Vita

Sorcières / Kimpa Vita is a powerful dance show with a rock flair – a homage that unites the struggle of conquerors of the past and present.

Choreographer DeLaVallet Bidiefono brings to life the “Congolese Joan of Arc”, Kimpa Vita. Around 1700, Kimpa Vita fought against the predecessors of the political colonizers, the missionaries. She became a committed prophet, fighting for the independence of her country, for freedom and for all women who fought against oppression. Kimpa Vita was accused of heresy as a witch (sorcière) and burned at the stake, ultimately becoming a martyr for her cause.Written by author, director and actor Dieudonné Niangouna and embodied by Dancer Florence Gnarigo,  Kimpa Vita moves across a battlefield; her steps gradually becoming more confident as the sandy ground is strewn with glowing ash. Her battle gear is woven before our eyes. The voice of Malagasy singer Dina Mialinelina and the music of bass player Benoît Lugué accompany her. Organic dance, precise gestures and the power of words give the evening a remarkably intense, evocative power.

 

DeLaVallet Bidiefono was born in the early 1980s in Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo – in a district where the word “contemporary art” did not exist. Nothing predestined him for dance except the extraordinary tenacity that made him an adventurer of movement and, within it, a researcher. In 2001, he moved to the capital, Brazzaville, and began his career as a dancer, taking part in choreographic research workshops organized by the French Cultural Center. He founded the Companie Baninga, which gained international fame in 2008. DeLaVallet Bidiefono nourishes his work with influences from Africa, Europe and America. His artistic collaborations are numerous, notably with David Bobbée, David Lescot and Dieudonné Niangouna. In 2013 he was invited to the Avignon Festival. He has been an associated artist at renowned cultural institutions on several occasions and now lives between Paris and Brazzaville. Since 2015 he has made a significant contribution in Brazzaville with the construction of the Espace Baning’art, the first independent venue for artistic creation in the Congo. At Espace Baning’art, DeLaVallet Bidiefono supports the development of artistic projects in a country where there is hardly any cultural policy or public cultural funding.

Participants

Concept and choreography: DeLaVallet Bidiefono

With: Florence Gnarigo (dance) Dina Mialinelina (singing) and Benoit Lugué (music)

Text: Dieudonné Niangouna

Set design: Estelle Duriez

Lighting design: Stéphane “Babi” Aubert

Sound design: Marvin Jean

Stage manager: Cléo Konongo

Technical direction: Martin Julhès

Production and distribution: Emilia Petrakis, Philippe Naulot

Management: Jérémie Damamme, Philippe Naulot

Co-production: The Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg

Support for the residency: Théâtre Jean Lurçat/Scène Nationale d’Aubusson, Le Lavoir Moderne Parisien

Support for creation: DRAC Ile de France, Région Ile de France, Département du Val de Marne

- 12 € / reduced 6 €

- Please book your ticket in advance online or at the box office in the Foyer.

- Introduction with DeLaVallet Bidiefono November 9, 2024, 8:30 pm & November 10, 2024, 6:30 pm

- French with German and English subtitles

- Duration: 60 min

- 12 years and older

- Ground Floor, Hall 2

- Belongs to: Transkontinentale

Price: €12.00

Reduced price: €6.00

© Museumsportal Berlin