A collective of New Orleans cultural organizations will present MBONGI: Kingdom of Kongo, a series of African dance and drum workshops at Toulouse Theatre. The event offers an interdisciplinary experience in traditional Congolese dance, drum, song, storytelling and philosophical thought. This free course will be held on select Saturdays at 10 a.m. from December 17 to February 25, 2023 and doesn’t need to be taken as a full course.

The courses will be led by Papa Titos Sompa, musician, cultural activist, founder and artistic director of the Mbongi Dance Theatre Project, and a native of Brazzaville, Congo. It will also be led by Monique Moss, New Orleans-based cultural historian and scholar, professional dancer and choreographer, curator and artistic director of Third Eye Theatre Interdisciplinary and Improvisational Performance Company.

The course is built around the Mbongi, a Congolese word meaning “learning circle” where people gather to gain understanding about becoming positive, contributing members of the community. The process of the Mbongi Circle will include focused moments of lecture, discussion, question and answer on topics that examine western cultural and societal moors versus those of African origin–in order to provoke reflection, introspection, and ultimately, self-assessment.

The mentioned organizations responsible for the African dance and drum workshops include the Amistad Research Center, Congo Square Preservation Society, New Orleans Jazz Museum, Music Box Village and the Preservation Hall Foundation.

For more information on the African dance and drum workshops, visit the Preservation Hall blog.