Clément Cogitore: Bridging Baroque and Street Dance in Les Indes Galantes at Joslyn Art Museum

The work spotlights a pivotal moment in history—a 1725 meeting between six Native American tribal chiefs and King Louis XV—infused with a modern twist. The chiefs’ traditional dances are reimagined through K.R.U.M.P, a dance style that emerged in Los Angeles in the 1990s. The film immerses audiences in this vibrant cultural exchange, blending Baroque music with the high-energy, expressive movements of K.R.U.M.P. Captured from multiple vantage points, the performance highlights the power of ritual across generations, races, and ethnicities, forging a compelling connection between two distinct worlds.