Jolie Ngemi

Five dancers bring the energy of Congolese Sebene dances to the stage, transforming them into a powerful, political dance manifesto – for liberation, against injustice and for the joy of life.

“MBOK’ELENGI” means pleasure and joie de vivre in Lingala, the mother tongue of Jolie Ngemi. Taken up by Congolese youth, it has become a popular (survival) slogan on the streets of Kinshasa.

In her striking group piece of the same name, “MBOK’ELENGI”, the choreographer and dancer translates this outlook on life into contemporary dance.

On stage, five dancers reinterpret popular Congolese dances from the Sebene musical genre, a guitar-driven style of Congolese pop music. Their movements are inspired by the struggle against injustices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a deep desire for liberation. They powerfully challenge hegemonic codes that entrench inequalities and further impoverish the poorest in favour of the richest.

Before the audience’s very eyes, a piece unfolds that is as political and defiant as it is hopeful. A danced manifesto against injustice – and for the joy of life.