LA VESTE DU PRESIDENT Lucas Katangila

In KOTI YA RAÏSI, or La Veste Du President in Swahili, Lucas Katangila exposes the perverse effects of globalisation and abuse.

With this dance solo, he connects two worlds in conflict and fights for justice, truth and recovery. By highlighting the dark side of a country and a region: the everyday violence, the exploitation of the black population to the plundering of African riches, he simultaneously denounces the silence and negligence of supranational institutions and Western media.

In the Congo there is a course to power, each politician takes a vest to show his power and to emulate a part of the country’s riches.

Lucas Katangila is a choreographer, dancer and performer with a passion for hip hop, contemporary and traditional African dance. Through the Mboka Dance Family – in Goma where he grew up – he was introduced to dance and playing instruments such as djembe, likembe, kalumbatini, marimba, dungu and kinubi from an early age. Together with some friends, he founded a project with street children and child soldiers – Ndoto mchezo za watoto (Dream of child dancers) – with a clear message: ‘STOP the abuse of children in the front lines of war’. For Lucas, dance is a weapon that he uses as a means of education, empowerment and conveying a political message. Choreography and movement create a safe collective space, a moment to stop the violence.

Today Lucas studies in Brussels at the Institut Supérieur des Arts et Choregraphies ISAC. He also dances with SLAYERS DANCE COMPANY, AMIZEROK East African Boléro, and in his own company MBOKA DANCE Cie. He has performed in festivals and battles all over Africa and Europe such as Sakata Dance Battle Kenya, Mayfest UK, Congolisation Festival, Kunstenfestivaldesarts… In 2020 he won the Roel Verniers Prize for his dance solo Ndoto (to be seen at the Theaterfestival 2021).
WIPCOOP = MESTIZO ARTS PLATFORM + ARENBERG, KVS, KUNSTZ, CAMPO, KAAITHEATER, TONEELHUIS, RATAPLAN, MARTHA!TENTATIEF, STUK, DE CENTRALE, DETHEATERMAKER, MADAM FORTUNA, NTGENT, KOPERGIETERY, FAMEUS, LARF! KAZEMATTEN, PLATFORM 0090, DESINGEL, HETPALEIS, WPZIMMER, ARSENAAL, CULTUURCENTRUM & RADAR MECHELEN, FABULEUS, OC NOVA, BEHUMAN, PIANOFABRIEK/CITYLAB, VICTORIA DELUXE, SPREEKUUR (PODIUMKUNSTEN), HET THEATERFESTIVAL, GLOBE AROMA, EASTMAN, LEZARTS URBAINS, WORKSPACEBRUSSELS, TRANSFO COLLECT, VOORUIT, BIJ DE VIEZE GASTEN, ZINNEMA, MOUSSEM, DANSPUNT, THASSOS, SOCHA, KC NONA, DE MAAN, ZOMER VAN ANTWERPEN, WALPURGIS, RAS EL HANOUT, ULTIMA VEZ, BRONKS, CC JACQUES FRANCK, IMPULSION DANCE, MONTY, DE STUDIO, STORM OP KOMST, VINCENT COMPANY, LE BAMP, GET DOWN AGENCY, CORSO, DE KOER / MET STEUN VAN: VLAAMSE GEMEENSCHAP


Mestizo Arts Platform