Dans la peau de l’autre

« C’est une danse provocatrice qui dit: ici, dans mon coin, c’est moi le roi »

August 2016, a spring fair somewhere in Kinshasa. The young choreographer Pepe Elmas Naswa is watching a new dance, fascinated and amazed. It is an impressive and extremely energetic snake dance, performed by a group of chègués (street kids) and kuluna (gang members). Afterwards, he asks the kids what they think about dance and the significance of movement. He even convinces them to teach a group of contemporary dancers the snake dance during a workshop. This was when Dans la peau de l’autre was born. The dance expresses the chaos and desperation of an abandoned generation. The movements are pervaded by their anger and frustration. The music and energetic rhythms by DJ Samantha were influenced by Congolese rumba, hip hop, rap, etc.