Image by Jen Phillip‍

Join us for a very special performance installation conceived of and choreographed by Byb Chanel Bibene.

‍Nkinsi Nkondi project emerged from a trip to Paris, France. During a visit to the Quai Branly Museum, choreographer Byb Bibene discovered a nkisi nkondi statue from the Kongo people of central Africa. This divine figure represents the moral and spiritual codes of the people – it is also a political and religious symbol of power, resistance, fear, and defiance.

The minkisi were power figures used to destroy evil spirits, cure illnesses, and resolve disputes. The performance installation guides the audience through time, through the walls and floors of the museum where one can witness multiple performances and installations exhibiting how text, body pigments, dance, and music, converge to tell history.

‍Byb Chanel Bibene is a dance instructor, researcher, choreographer and performer working in theater and contemporary dance. His own technical and aesthetic sensibility is rooted in the culture and dances of his country of origin, the Republic of Congo. He has toured the world and performed internationally with companies and choreographers originating from Africa, England, France and the USA. Artistic Director of Kiandanda Dance Theater, Bibene initiated Mbongui Square festival, a multidisciplinary arts festival that gathers dance, music, spoken word and visual artists from the Bay Area and across the world.

Outside of his professional careers of Theater and Dance, Bibene has a passion for writing. He is author of numerous poetry and shorts. Bibene owns a Bachelor in Science, Economics/Finances from Marien Ngouabi University/Brazzaville, an MFA in Dance and a certificate in Dance Production Management from Saint Mary’s College of California.

For more info, visit www.kiandanda-dance.com.

‍Performances on Saturday, June 2 at 4pm & 7pm | Sunday, June 3 at 1pm & 4pm