Lunel & Lunyse Gabon

Instru-Dans(aim)ant is a project inspired by the rhythms and dance movements of Guadeloupean Gwoka culture. Through our research, we aim to move beyond the traditional musical and bodily codes associated with this practice. Gwoka is rooted in improvisation and in a dialogue between the musician and the dancer; it is a fundamental component of Guadeloupean Creole identity. Instru-Dans(aim)ant seeks to question this Creole identity by bringing it into dialogue with Louisiana Creole culture, using music and dance as languages and vibrations. Our research will focus on processes of transposition, reconciliation, rapprochement, and deconstruction, as well as on the visible and invisible connections that emerge through our respective practices of dance and music.

As a composer, Lunel will reconsider his relationship to his instrument through an experimental approach, adapting his compositional process accordingly. As a dancer, Lunyse will explore movement through encounters with both her own body and external bodies—from the bass instrument to the artists she meets and collaborates with.

Through experimentation, we will develop an evolving and performative body of material. This open and collaborative research project will create spaces for experimentation and opportunities for exchange with local artists.

Is the younger generation still connected to its Creole heritage and language? How is this connection expressed through sound and the body? Our research will focus on deconstructing the visible and invisible connections that can emerge through our practices of dance and music. Can a wordless conversation take place beyond the bond between brother and sister? What form might it take in its absence?

Finally, from a visual perspective, we aim to emphasize the movement and sound we create by translating their trajectories into lines within a mural painting—as if the air itself could capture these movements and imprint them onto a two-dimensional surface. As if these encounters could be translated into a form of sign language.

For us, coming to Louisiana means giving form to a tangible and sensitive conversation that has long existed between Louisiana and Guadeloupe through their shared history.

Both Jazz and Gwoka place a strong emphasis on improvisation and are rooted in responsive forms of musical exchange. They are also deeply connected to the histories of protest and struggle of Black communities. Guadeloupe and New Orleans both share a strong carnival culture, which carries traces of their histories shaped by the transatlantic slave trade. Unlike the intimate dialogue of our duet, Carnival offers a collective, synchronized form of movement and a fusion of sound and bodily expression.

We also hope that New Orleans’ vibrant artistic and musical energy will enrich our research and encourage the contemporary approach to experimentation that we are seeking.

By exploring the relationships between sound, gesture, dance, instruments, and Creoleness, we wish to observe and experiment with these elements while engaging with Louisiana’s diverse communities—including Creole, Cajun, Indigenous, African American, and other local communities, as well as visitors.