The riveting and elegant work of Congolese choreographer and writer Faustin Linyekula nurtures hope in the face of the ongoing legacy of war and ruin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a gripping blend of exquisite and sometimes frenetic movement, poetic text, and evocative live music by potent trumpeter Heru Shabaka-Ra of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Linyekula summons ancestors, friendships, and political struggles — reckoning with what it means to seek beauty, to write or sing or dance, when surrounded by violence and loss. Linyekula combines the power of theater, the expressive force of dance and sharp political critique to explore post-colonial reality with courage and humor. His international award-winning performances have been commissioned by some of the world’s most prestigious cultural festivals and institutions, including the Tate Museum in London, and at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, as well as The Metropolitan Museum. He has created work for the Comédie Française, the Lorraine ballets, the National Ballet of Portugal CNB, and famed opera director Peter Sellars.
