UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For many years, medically trained dance artist Hervé Koubi questioned his last name, a surname of non-French origin. Finally, when Koubi was in his mid-20s, his father revealed a secret, Algerian ancestry.

The revelation inspired Koubi to launch a personal journey that led to the founding of his contemporary dance company. Compagnie Hervé Koubi is a brotherhood of dancers primarily from North Africa, most with backgrounds in street dance. The internationally acclaimed performers combine expertise in capoeira, martial arts, hip-hop, and contemporary styles.

The dancers of Compagnie Hervé Koubi will translate the choreographer’s journey in “What the Day Owes to the Night,” a semi-autobiographical account of a buried ancestry in a nod to universal origin stories, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, in Eisenhower Auditorium at Penn State University Park.

“What the Day Owes to the Night” explores Koubi's journey between a perceived comfort zone of French privilege and a destination that revealed a rich and complicated personal family history. The performance is a collaborative response to Koubi’s journey to Algeria to discover his roots; there, he worked with a group of male street dancers in disciplines including martial arts, capoeira and hip-hop.

“He [Koubi] thought that he had roots in France, but actually, no … he was from Africa,” said Compagnie Hervé Koubi executive director Guillaume Gabriel in a Center for the Performing Arts interview. “So, Hervé, who thought that his great-grandparents were coming from Brittany, were placed in France and went back with the kind of colonization in the 19th century; and then came back to France again with the events of independency in Algeria. So, it was a big shock for him.”

The wide-ranging story of “What the Day Owes to the Night” is also present in the soundtrack, which includes traditional Arabic, Sufi trance and European classical music.

Call 814-863-0255 or visit Compagnie Hervé Koubi online for more information about the performance and a free community "Joyfull" event.

Free community engagement event

The Joyfull: Compagnie Hervé Koubi Edition

6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, Eisenhower Auditorium lobby and Willaman Walkway

When our bodies are hungry, we need to eat. But when our souls are hungry, we crave a different kind of nourishment. Just like food, art comes from many forms, cultural backgrounds, and histories. At each Joyfull, we welcome all to come and enjoy a meal, live performance and conversation.

Join the Center for the Performing Arts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the Eisenhower Auditorium lobby for an artistic program, followed by dinner in the Verne M. Willaman Gateway to the Sciences, third floor of the Huck Life Sciences Building. The menu will be North African-inspired cuisine.

Free sustainable utensil sets will be given to first-time attendees while supplies last. Returning attendees can help reduce waste by bringing these reusable utensils with them to use at each Joyfull. Recipe cards also will be offered at the event; to contribute, attendees can bring a recipe of their choice to share.

The event is free, but registration is required. Visit The Joyfull online for more info and to register.

Acknowledgements

Accessibility services supported by the William E. McTurk Endowment for Program Support. Support for The Joyfull events provided by Dick Brown and Sandy Zaremba and the Penn State Equal Opportunity Planning Committee in the Office for the Vice Provost for Educational Equity. A grant from the University Park Fee Board makes student prices possible.

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