Ailey II And Compagnie Hervé KOUBI Coming Up At The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, now in its 41st season, presents Compagnie Hervé KOUBI's astonishingly kinetic evening-length signature work, What the Day Owes to the Night, Saturday, July 27. The event, which takes place at the Prospect Park Bandshell (9thSt. & Prospect Park West) is free to the public (with a suggested $5 contribution at the gate) and begins at 8:00pm (with gates opening at 7:00pm).

French-Algerian choreographer Hervé Koubi grew up unaware of his Algerian heritage; learning about it at age 25 from his father on his deathbed sent him on a personal and artistic journey. Made up of dancers primarily from North Africa with street dance backgrounds, Compagnie Hervé KOUBI is the result of that journey, which Koubi metaphorically traces in What the Day Owes to the Night. The work bristles with energy and powerful images that evoke Orientalist paintings and Islamic architecture. What the Day Owes to the Night is Koubi's second collaboration with street dancers from Algeria and Burkina Faso, and combines capoeira, martial arts, hip hop, and contemporary styles. The New York Times writes, "The juxtaposition of contrasting speeds and shapes is mesmerizing. And the virtuosity ... is a touch of theatrical magic." Explosive yet lyrical, it is a metaphor for the complex ties that link us all.

Koubi says, "Dance is a very ephemeral form of art however I am very attached to the notion of time, history and common culture as the result of a mixing of the best of each culture's specificity. My philosophy about choreography would be that we have to be curious, to be open to the others and, without demagogy, to be in love with the human being, to be in love. Dance is a declaration of love."

Hervé Koubi started his studies in dance in Cannes, where he was born, with Michele and Anne-Marie Sanguin and Nathalie Crimi (co-founders of Espace 614 at Mouans-Sartoux). He pursued his development at the Centre International de Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes, then with the Opéra de Marseille. In 2000, Koubi created his first personal project Le Golem, kicking off his choreographic career. Since 2010, he has been working with a group of 12 dancers (making up the Compagnie Hervé KOUBI) from Algeria and Burkina Faso, all now French residents, for several productions: El Din (2010-2011), What the Day Owes to the Night (2013), Le rêve de Léa (2014), Des hommes qui dansent (2014), Les nuits barbares (2015), and Les premiers matins du monde (2016). He is Associate Choreographer at the Pole National Supérieur de Danse since 2014 and at the Conservatoire de Danse de Brive-la-Gaillarde since 2015. In July 2015, Koubi was awarded the French medal of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.

Of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, Billboard writes, "In the crowded summer festival season, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! stands apart." Since it began in 1979 as a catalyst for a burgeoning Brooklyn performing arts scene, and to bring people back into Prospect Park after years of neglect, the Festival has become one of the city's foremost summer cultural attractions. Winner of the Village Voice Readers' Poll and Critics' Picks for "Best Free Concert Series," the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival is New York City's longest-running summer outdoor performance festival. Over its 41-year history, the Festival has presented more than 2,000 artists, drawing a diverse audience upwards of 200,000 each season. Time Out New York writes, "Catching one of these gigs is guaranteed to be a highlight of your summer show-going season, whether you're seeing a buzzy indie-rock band, a classic soul or funk group, or one of the best hip-hop artists around."

The Festival welcomes several Co-Sponsors:

The Festival welcomes several Co-Sponsors including 90+ Cellars and Lila Wines, who will offer an array of wines perfect for outdoor summer concerts; Svedka Rose Vodka and Tequila Mi Compowhich will offer specialty cocktails; and Brooklyn SolarWorks whose Solar Canopy Will Power an interactive onsite activation.

Compagnie Hervé KOUBI: What the Day Owes to the Night
Where: BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival at the Prospect Park Bandshell (Prospect Park West & 9th St., Brooklyn)
When: Saturday, July 27 at 8:00pm (Gates open at 7:00pm)
Admission: Free ($5 suggested donation)
More information: www.BRICartsmedia.org/cb or 718.683.5600

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