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Lukah Katangila is a Choreographer, Dancer, Interpreter and Activist born in Goma North Kivu/Eastern DR Congo. He aims to meet people, to share dance styles in different cultures around the world and to bring a United Africa from central to east and west, from south to north Africa and Europe. His passion for hip hop, contemporary and traditional African dance originates within his native country. From the age of six he got in touch with the arts within the Mboka Dance Family in his grandfather’s Kingdom, where he was introduced to dance and the play of African instruments like djembe, likembe, kalumbatini, marimba, dungu and kinubi.
Lucas is a co-founder of Busara dance Company, Goma; founder of Lil Saint dance Cie, Goma; b2k Family, Goma and Black Magic Dance Company, Congo and Rwanda. After the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in 2002 he founded the project Ndoto mchezo za watoto (engl Dream of child dancers) with his brothers and friends. Children are often nicknamed Kadogo (Engl Little unimportant thing) by armed groupes in the Kivu/Eastern DR Congo. This project between Congo, Rwanda and Burundi claims the rights of children, speaks up against ethnic conflicts and the enrolment of children in armed groups. Their message is clear: STOP the abuse of children in the front lines of war. The dancers and the children call each other Shege (Swahili street kid).


Dance for Lucas works as heavy weapon, as a means of education, shared empowerment and political message. Choreography and movement provide a save collective space, a moment of stopping the violence. From 2012 to 2018 he worked with several Cultural Centers and Orphanages for street children and child soldiers in the African Great Lakes region. Some of them are Yolé!Africa Goma, Centre des Jeunes Don Bosco Ngangi DBNG, Centre Gahinja and maison des jeunes Gisenyi.



Currently Lucas is based in Bruxelles studying at the Institut Supérieur des Arts et Choregraphies ISAC. In parallel he is dancing with rising horses, SLAYERS DANCE COMPANY, AMIZEROK East African Boléro, and in his own Company MBOKA DANCE Cie.
He performed in festivals and battles throughout Africa and Europe such as Sakata Dance Battle Kenya, Salaam Kivu International Film Festival SKIFF DRC, Ubumuntu Arts Festival Rwanda, East African Nights of Tolerance EANT Rwanda, Mayfest UK, Congolisation Festival Afro-Diaspo-Arts Belgium, Kunstenfestivaldesarts.
Lucas met and danced with many African and European choreographers such as Vincent Harisdo, Alesandra Seutin, Merlin Nyakam, Nestor Kwame Solvis, Dorine Mokha Pro, Hope Azeda, Karol Karemera, Wesley Ruzibiba, Chito and Chiku Lwambo, Fabrice Mukala, Faustin Linyenkula, Louise Vanneste, Nicola Ayoub, Dane Hurts, Ingrid Fikksdal, Eric Minh Castaign, Amanda Piña.

 


Recently he won the Roel Verniers Price 2020 for his dance solo Ndoto (Het Theaterfestival). He is recipient of the scholarship Vocatio 2021.

© 2021 Mboka

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