Compagnie Auguste-Bienvenue Bani-Volta

Conceived for and with 10 dancers, Bani Volta is named after the west-African region where a major anticolonial war pitted several communities against French imperial forces in 1915 and 1916. Observing the erosion of memory of this major event, both in Burkina Faso and France, choreographer Bienvenue Bazié presents a show underpinned by several issues: resistance to colonial violence through the lens of rage, revolt and soul-searching; the importance of women’s role in that revolt; the relevance of remembrance in the current political context of Burkina Faso. The piece ties into a research and creative process initiated in 2024 at a university symposium held in Ouagadougou where artists and humanities academics convened. Following these workshops, the choreographer and several researchers collected scores of documents on the Bani-Volta war, including studies, accounts, archives, songs and images, which inspired the first productions of the dancers. The company Auguste-Bienvenue stays true to the purpose they have pursued for 25 years:  exploring politically motivated stories with a staunchly multidisciplinary approach. Bani-Volta conveys an unfailing faith in choreographic work to work through the complexity of an event and revive buried collective memory.
 

Vincent Théval
 

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