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"Intimate and heartfelt"-Culture Spot LA
Cion: Requiem of Ravel's Boléro
Friday, January 24, 2020 - Saturday, January 25, 2020
The Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater
This season, audiences can experience South African star Gregory Maqoma's choreographic genius at the Kennedy Center for the first time with a rousing dance show. His collaborations with top artists have been making waves across the globe-from William Kentridge's acclaimed production of The Head and the Load, which made its North American premiere in New York in 2018, to Idris Elba and Kwame Kwei-Armah's new multimedia musical Tree, which will premiere in the UK in June 2019. For his D.C. engagement, Maqoma's contemporary dance company Vuyani Dance Theatre performs an innovative, visually stunning full-length work that brings literature to life.
In Cion: Requiem of Ravel's Boléro, Maqoma draws inspiration from creations by two artists: the character Toloki in South African author Zakes Mda's novel Cion, and music from French composer Maurice Ravel's Boléro. It's a universal story encompassing the past and the present that champions our ability to band together to share the burden of grief. Set in a graveyard with the persistent cries of people in mourning and the a cappella music of Isicathamiya singers in the background, the performance vividly elicits emotions associated with the loss of life. Ultimately, Maqoma has created a powerful requiem that seeks to stand against the darkness of death and bring audiences hope for humanity.
Stay in the theater following the Jan. 24 show for a post-performance talk, free with your ticket.
Dancers, choreographers, composers, creative team members, and/or other artists offer insight into the performance and a chance to ask questions!
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