Performance
Shifting Perspectives

Chombotrope

By The Jitta Collective (Nairobi/Cologne)
Shifting Perspectives

Chombotrope

Chombotrope

© Martin Rottenkolber

  • 1h, no interval
  • In English

Past Dates

Through a surreal, raucous fashion concert that blinds and purifies us, the African-European collective attempts to rethink the heritage of cultural appropriation. In a playfully subversive change of perspective, “Chombotrope” connects elements of voguing and contemporary dance with beatboxing, rap, drums and turntables. This creates a mix of futurist identities with an unusual, stirring and captivating dance vocabulary. With a pointed and personal practise of self-empowerment, the collective produces a wormhole between two continents: Tradition and cultural loot are combined, twisted and focussed, allowing for new narratives to emerge. Menacingly and with a confusing lack of identifiable origins, the performance interweaves animism with science-fiction and the spiritual with technology.

Project initiation & Idea Kefa Oiro, Stephanie Thiersch
Conceived by The Jitta Collective

With
Direction, Choreography, Text Stephanie Thiersch
Dance, Choreography, Concept Kefa Oiro
Dance, Performance, Choreography Alexandra Naudet
Voguing, Vocals, Choreography Marie Zoe (aka Marie Buchholz)
Voguing Mother Leo Melody (alias Georgina Philp)
Art Objects, Fashion Design, Lyrics
Xenson (aka Ssamson Ssenkaaba)
Musical Composition, Turntables
DJ Elephant Power (alias Nicolas Baudoux)
Musical Composition, Drums, Beatboxing/Vocals Dodo NKishi
Musical Composition, Drums N’deye Seck
Dramaturgy / Scientific Support, Fashion & Aesthetics Alexandra Karentzos

Chombotrope (Trailer)

A MOUVOIR e.V. Germany & Tuchangamke Group, Kenya production. In co-production with Akademie der Künste der Welt / Cologne as part of PLURIVERSALE VII, tanzhaus nrw, Nairobi Festival of Performance and Media Arts – NFPMA and Goethe Institut – International Coproduction Fund.
Cooperation partners: freihandelszone – ensemblenetzwerk köln, GoDownArtsCenter, Nairobi.

Funded by: Kunststiftung NRW, NATIONALES PERFORMANCE NETZ (NPN), Coproduction Fund for Dance from means of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Ministry for Culture and Science of the Land North-Rhine Westphalia, Cultural Office of the city of Cologne.