Until the Lion Tells the Story…

“I have always believed that dance is the sovereign expression of African arts. Life is about achievements and failures, and one should not allow themselves to fail twice in the same way. As I said, I am expressing in my performance, in my journey, the path I choose: self-determination, trust in myself, and sovereignty.”

-Lacina Coulibaly

Until The Lion Tells the Story… is an invitation to embrace the wisdom and knowledge of Africa as an essential part of being in the world, and a reminder that the journey towards renaissance and transformation begins with building one’s inner pyramid. Inspired by Egyptian use of the golden ratio in ancient pyramid construction, Coulibaly engages the similar Fibonacci sequence in which each number in a particular order is equal to the sum of two numbers before it. He uses a bottle of water to construct his own golden ratio rectangle, symbolizing another early practice of water droplets as a form of measurement. The solo performance applies the ideas and writings of Guadeloupean writer, Egyptologist, and classical African mathematics specialist Omotunde Kalala and Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician Cheikh Anta Diop to underscore Coulibaly’s belief that “forgetting or ignoring any aspect of our history leads to a loss of ourselves.” Lighting design is by Roderick Murray; costume design by Oumar Ouedraogo (Mano Design); set design by Sylvester Akakpo; sound composition by Kimathi Moore; and music inspired by African Music Drum Collection, Vibrations Rituelles & Magie Éthnique.