Everybody dances in Congo but Jolie Ngemi’s journey to become a professional dancer and choreographer wasn’t easy. The journey has taken her from New York to Korea, and to Brussels where she studied at P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Research and Training Studios) until she was “asked to leave”. Eventually, for matters of the heart, it lead her to Aclens – a small village in the south-west of Switzerland. Reminiscent, and in fact not too far from Leukerbad where James Baldwin wrote Stranger in the Village, Jolie shares the trials and tribulations of negotiating identity in Europe but also at home.
Identity n’a ngai was performed for the first time at Kaserne Basel in September 2018.
