hotfoot magazine
SPECIAL EDITION: ADAD CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY NEWS, ARTIST PROFILES, STORIES AND COMMENTARY ON DANCE OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
AUTUMN 2010 - WHAT'S INSIDE?
A TRAILBLAZER’S JOURNEY ANNETTE WALKER’S ADVENTURES IN LONDON AND NYC SPOTLIGHT ON EMMANUEL NII TAGOE BY LISA NKRUMAHMWEU DANCE JOURNEYS INTO AFRICA ADAD IN THE NORTH BY CHRISTY ADAIR HERE TO STAY BY THOMAS PRESTO WHAT’S ON - EVENTS AND CLASSES LISTINGS Cover photo: Alicia Andrew graduate of IRIE! dance theatre’s foundation degree which launched in September 2008. The two-year degree course, which is accredited by London Metropolitan University and delivered jointly with City and Islington College, trains students equally in African, Caribbean and Contemporary dance, as well as Ballet. Photography by Toby Ross-Southall.
EDITORIAL
This special edition of Hotfoot magazine commemorates the 15th anniversary of the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora (ADAD). ADAD was born out of the vision of a small collective of dance artists who wanted to move their art form from the margins to the mainstream of the British cultural landscape. Since its inception in 1994, ADAD has grown into a leading national dance organisation and our unique expertise is now sought by national and international cultural institutions, Universities, film and theatre producers, professional artists and students. ADAD would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the many people who have contributed to our success.
International Perspectives on dance of the African Diaspora is being hosted in partnership with IRIE! dance theatre, State of Emergency productions and London Metropolitan University on November 5th-6th, 2010. We get a sneak peek into the conference through Thomas Presto, an Afro-Caribbean dance educator and choreographer based in Norway. As artistic director of Tabanka Crew, (finalists in Norway’s Got Talent 2010), Thomas’ practice in Oslo sheds a fascinating light on cultural survival in the Diaspora. At Re:Generations, Thomas will be speaking about his approach to professional training and teaching a workshop in his unique Talawa technique.
Anniversaries naturally foster nostalgia. However in this issue of Hotfoot, rather than looking back, we’ve chosen to give you a glimpse of what’s happening now. We’re inspired by the creative energy of the artists we support and represent, so we want to share it with you.
See inside for more information aut the conference and how to register. You can also find out about Agile Leaders, ADAD’s new professional development programme which we are developing incpartnership with East London Dance and Ochee Design.
We start with a feature article by one of this year’s Trailblazers, Annette Walker, sharing her explorations of rhythm tap which have taken her from Ronnie Scott’s to NYC. Budding researcher and writer, Lisa NkrumahMweu, follows with a profile of long-standing pan-African choreographer, Emmanuel Nii Tagoe, artistic director of Frititi, giving insight into the flexibility needed to sustain a long term career in African dance. Professor Christy Adair shares her view on recapturing the Black dance heritage of Leeds – a poignant perspective as ADAD North was established in July 2010 in partnership with hosts Phoenix Dance Theatre. Our ‘Dance Journeys into Africa’ page features glimpses of the continent from the perspectives of a dance researcher, a choreographer, two dance teachers and a promoter.
As our activities develop, our staff team is growing and changing. In July of this year, we welcomed Lisa Thomas into the role of ADAD North Programme Coordinator and in October our part-time Administrator, Paula Allen, will take on a new challenge as Programme Manager, based in our London office.
ADAD’s vision is to nurture local, national and international networks of confident artists. What better way to feed this vision than an international gathering of artists, researchers and writers who are specialists in dance of the African Diaspora to share their practice and shape the future of the art form? Re: Generations –
Special thanks to our contributing writers, our guest editor Ukachi Akalawu (Trailblazer 2003/4), and our Communications Assistant, Ralph Fuller, for coordinating this special edition of Hotfoot. We hope you enjoy reading it. If you have feedback/comments, or would like to receive regular news about ADAD’s events and activities, we would love to hear from you: hotfoot@adad.org.uk. Jeanette Bain-Burnett ADAD Director
A TRAILBLAZER’S JOURNEY:
THINKING, PLANNING AND DOING. BY ANNETTE WALKER
Photograph by Sudhira (Colorama Studios London)
Annette is one of ADAD’s current Trailblazers, having received a bursary of £2000 and a tailored programme of professional training. The Trailblazers fellowship is ADAD’s core professional development programme. What have you gained from your experience as a Trailblazer? The most immediate benefit of my experience that comes to mind is what I’ve been doing most recently. I have been on a self-directed, tap dance professional development plan in New York City for the last month. The original plan involved a two-week intensive: networking with other tap dancers, researching the archives for tap performances at the Lincoln Centre, attending live tap and jazz events, and generally soaking up the vibe. What it has turned into is an amazing mish-mash of planned and unplanned activities all related to tap. The two-week rhythm tap intensive by Heather Cornell went according to plan and fulfilled my expectations. The focus coincided with my main aim – working with musicians for live performances – and it certainly lived up to the packaging as an intensive since I had no time to do anything else. This was the mental and physical workout that I’ve needed, and it has left me brewing with new ideas to work with when I’m back in London. Whilst I’m no stranger to New York and its high-octane pace, I had forgotten the many facets there are to the city. The tap scene bubbles under the surface, mostly hidden away from the average layperson, but there appears to be an endless fibre of connectivity within the community– everyone is connected in some way. But it is the social activities with other tap dancers in New York which have been an invaluable experience. Tap dancers can talk passionately for hours on the state of tap, and who’s doing what, and share opinions on shows and activities. Discussions highlight the similarities and differences within the tap community across the world and help reinforce that sense of community. Most of the tap dancers I have met in New York are not native New Yorkers, but wherever a tap dancer is from they are welcomed into the growing, albeit slightly dysfunctional tap family. Of course I’m most remembered for being “that British (or more precisely Black British) tap dancer”. The greatest benefit of my experience as a Trailblazer has been the opportunity to put my project ideas into practice with the support of ADAD. It can be challenging to have full responsibility for an ambitious project that has many parts, but it is rewarding to be able to see ideas unfold and grow. In addition to enabling me to mature as a tap dancer, the experience has helped me to recognise myself as a musician, and trust the creative direction in which I am headed, even though others might be going in different directions.
Have you faced any challenges as a trailblazer? There have not been significant challenges as a Trailblazer per se, but that’s not to say there have not been any challenges during the project. The overall project is to create a working tap and jazz trio, and includes smaller projects. There has been the challenge of planning and prioritising each miniature project so that none lose momentum, and that they remain interconnected regardless of any shifts in the scheduling. But overall I have been fortunate that my hard work has paid off. How has the experience shaped you as a dancer/ practitioner? Many people go through periods of doubt of their abilities and battle with their confidence and self-esteem. For performing artists the challenge is that this can impact on the progress of their career and development as an artist. The experiences during my Trailblazer journey have helped me to recognise and utilise existing knowledge and experience in order to strengthen me as a dancer/musician. The biggest impact has been how to relate to working with musicians. This has come through a wide combination of activities including working with a jazz trio in London, being part of and attending the London Tap Jam and Hoofer’s Lounge, and experiences in New York through the intensive, jams and watching performances. Generally I feel more grounded within myself as a tap dancer and I am looking forward to returning to London with a refreshed outlook on my Trailblazer goals. Do you have any experiences you would like to share? There have been so many great experiences emerging out of my Trailblazer project. But what I want to share is the experience of the process of how I got here. When I think about the earlier stages of my project, I see that the work had started even before I realised what the project would be. There had been months of scribbled down (and forgotten) ideas, outlines of plans, plans of plans and a seemingly mysterious accumulation of research in various areas of tap and music that seemed barely related to each other at the time. I cannot remember the precise time in which the overall project emerged from its early development, but I do remember battling to find a way to tie the various mini projects down on paper even though it made perfect sense in my head. So the process towards a viable Trailblazer project – developing further as a tap dancer, finding a suitable tap floor, beginning work with a jazz trio, learning jazz through piano and theory – has been a process of rediscovery of my ideas and finding the different ways of how they all interrelate. I am still amazed at how things have been coming together. My project started simply with a passion. This led me to organise my thoughts and put together a plan that was achievable. The support from the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund and ADAD has helped me stay focused and keep track of my progress. For more information about Trailblazers’, contact the ADAD office at info@adad.org.uk
SPOTLIGHT ON EMMANUEL NII TAGOE BY LISA NKRUMAH-MWEU
It’s Tuesday night at the Brixton Rec and studio one is teeming with people dancing to the polyrhythmic beats of traditional dance from Africa. The sweat begins to pour as the energy of the music rises, faces beam with concentration and delight, the atmosphere is electric. “Let’s go to the corner!” instructs the teacher Emmanuel Nii Tagoe, where he proceeds to break down the sequence for the class to follow and repeat. For several years, Tagoe has taught dances from Africa, in particular Central, South, and West Africa. His open class is extremely popular due to his energy and skill, as well as the vast knowledge he has obtained through years of independent travels throughout the African continent. The class has become a firm fixture amongst artists and non-artists alike, who, for two hours, come with a passion to have fun, and learn more about traditional African dance. This aspect of Tagoe’s practice represents the vision that he laid out for his company, Frititi (meaning ‘ancient’ in the Akan language of Ghana), which he founded in 1993. He wanted to “create and pass on to future generations, artistic expressions through dance, music and ritual”. His intention was to steer traditional dance in a new direction ready to embrace a contemporary society, without losing the influential significance of its historical and cultural past. By the early 90s, traditional African dance - which to an extent has structured the evolution and the diversity of African People’s Dance (APD) - had begun to falter and go out of fashion. Funding bodies moved their support towards companies and organisations that incorporated a fusion of styles into their dance repertoire, rather than those who chose to focus on the quality presentation of one particular style. Artists dancing within the framework of traditional African dance struggled for work, many leaving the art form as broken and disillusioned individuals. Sadly, they took with them the experience, knowledge, and in-depth understanding of a movement vocabulary that in retrospect should have been harnessed as a point of reference for performance, education, research and development within the APD sector. However, there were some, such
as Tagoe who chose to soldier on. He had been a principal dancer with the celebrated Adzido Pan African Dance Ensemble for 3 years, and was a tour de force on stage, so he decided to use that experience as a springboard for new ventures. Subsequently, he set up Frititi and expanded his performance portfolio through community and educational programs both nationally and internationally. His aim was to “project a more positive image of Africa, and to dispel the myths and negative stereotypes of the African continent and its people”. Tagoe found support and work in the commercial sector and in Europe where he taught, performed and toured with successful bands such as Osibisa, Asian Dub Foundation, and Baka Beyond, as well as choreographing for Peter Gabriel’s floor performance at the Millennium Dome. He resiliently continued to selffund projects for his company, which is probably why he has survived as a practising artist. By taking this path, he cleverly side-stepped the complex dependence on funding bodies which many dance companies enter into at their own risk. It is well known that Adzido themselves fell foul of their funders resulting in the company’s tragic demise in 2004. If this can happen to Britain’s largest and most celebrated African dance company, what hope is there for fledgling artists trying to break new ground? This stark reality that many artists and companies face is one that Tagoe sagely recognises. He believes that in the nineteen years of working as an artist in the UK, little has changed in this regard, which is why he chooses to dance to his own tune. The popularity and support of Western contemporary dance and its integrated fusions have pushed traditional African dance to the periphery of both the APD and mainstream dance sectors. Traditional African dance is often seen as something that has little resonance beyond social gatherings. There is a misconception that it cannot offer dancers and audiences something of technical, physical, artistic and emotional relevance. Nevertheless, those who have participated in, watched, and researched African dance, understand the relevance that African dance could have in the dance industry, yet unfortunately its educational, performance structure and holistic benefits go largely unrecognised and unexplored.
The power of traditional African dance lies in harnessing knowledge about its history, movement form, and music. Tagoe continually travels to Africa, learning more about dance and its cultural traditions, deepening his knowledge and mastering his art, “respecting where the dances come from, because they are the work of many”, developing local and global awareness about the social and holistic benefits of traditional African dance, and the many ways it can contribute to and enrich society.
Traditional African dance deserves acknowledgement and support, in order to maintain its vibrancy and to allow artists such as Tagoe to further develop the form. This is an art form that could embrace collaborations amongst dance practitioners and form a coherent package for the school curriculum beyond the one off workshop, so that the popularity and understanding of traditional African dance can continue to rise and become, as Tagoe says, “as popular and regular as Eastenders!”
By accepting the framework of traditional African dance, creative diversity can be explored, notes Tagoe: “Traditional dance is like a tree; its branches and leaves can be seen from a distance, its roots grow underneath and spread in many directions, but still it is connected to the tree- the branches are there still growing”. This is an art form that Tagoe affirms could embrace dances created to the beats of Lady Gaga or Jay-Z, costumes made with contemporary character, and choreography that explores the vast movement vocabulary that endures in traditional dance.
Lisa Nkrumah-Mweu is a budding dance researcher, soon to embark on an MA in Dance Anthropology at Roehampton University. This article was researched and written during a work placement with ADAD. Contact us to find out more about work experience opportunities.
Photograph by Simon Richardson
Photograph by Giorgio Bruni
Coming Soon…
The Agile Leaders Challenge Transforming how creative professionals see themselves
What is the Agile Leaders Challenge?
What are the features of the challenge?
It’s a new professional development programme designed by ADAD, East London Dance and Ochee Design in consultation with CIDA (Creative Industries Development Agency, Huddersfield), and funded by the Cultural Leadership Programme.
It focuses on three themes – Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Collaboration, which are integral to the success of any creative business. The programme is made up of two residential weekend intensives, which ‘sandwich’ a series of creative labs, business skills workshops and action-learning sets, culminating in a showcase of all the participants’ work.
Who is it for? The challenge is for dance and creative media professionals who want to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to create thriving businesses that make a meaningful impact. We’re looking for teams of practitioners with leadership ability and creative ideas who are already making things happen, but want to take their practice to the next level. The teams must include a mix of dance and visual/ creative media professionals (e.g. a choreographer, a photographer and a digital artist; or a web-designer and two dancers).
When does the challenge start? The challenge will take place from January-May 2011.
How do I get involved? Applications for the challenge open in early October. For more information: contact info@adad.org.uk
DANCE JOURNEYS INTO AFRICA BEING TOTALLY THEATRICAL IN THE GAMBIA BY CREATING THE FUTURE AT L’ECOLE DES SABLES IN UKACHI AKALAWU (TEACHER/ADAD TRAILBLAZER) SENEGAL BY ALESANDRA SEUTIN (CHOREOGRAPHER/ ADAD TRAILBLAZER) In 2008, I travelled to the Gambia to study West African Performing Arts (dance, music, storytelling, circus, masquerade, and cultural and historical context). The course focused on arts from Gambia, Senegal, Mali and Guinea-Conakry. My aim was to gain an understanding of the integral nature of African arts and incorporate that into my work within education in the UK. My teachers were lecturers from the University of the Gambia, plus local and international artists. One highlight was training and performing with the Simba. The Simba (or Faux Lions) are a form of entertainment from Senegal, where men dressed as ‘lions’ and their musicians act/sing/dance a fable of a man who went into the forest and was attacked by a lion. This phenomenon is true street theatre, combining humour, acrobatics, fierce Sabar dance/drumming, and much audience participation. It has the power to engage all ages. I have frequently observed Simba performances, and never imagined being a part of it – particularly as it is a spectacle only performed by men. Thus, it was a privilege for me to be an honorary Simba. Watching, learning from and performing with the Simba confirmed to me how beautiful and profound it is to seamlessly combine all the art forms to create a piece of fully interactive Total Theatre. Whilst in the Gambia my understanding of performing arts practice in West Africa significantly deepened. I learned as much outside of the studio as I did inside. I observed and participated in numerous events, and met fascinating individuals, all serving to broaden my knowledge and enhance my practice as an educator.
Creating The Future was a three-month course for professional dancers from Africa and its Diaspora. My trip was possible thanks to the support of ADAD and the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund. The course comprised of eight hours of daily dance training, incorporating technique and the exploration of choreographic devices. There were 42 dancers in attendance, and with them I learnt traditional forms from countries such as Ivory Coast, Chad, Togo, South Africa, and more. I was also taught by Germaine Acogny, the founder of L’Ecole des Sables, who for me is the most inspiring teacher in terms of her achievements as a choreographer, creator of her own technique, director of a school, and of course as an African woman. The highlight of my trip was the artist led sessions, where each artist taught elements of his/her own traditional dance practice. I learnt a tremendous amount from these sessions. Initially, I did feel apprehensive about leading one of my own, as my approach to traditional African dance is very individual, but I was encouraged to engage in the process as these workshops were all about exchange. So I taught some of my choreography, which uses aspects of feeling and emotion. The participants told me that for them, it felt as traditional as any of the other artist led sessions. I found these sessions to be valuable opportunities to offer and receive food for body and soul. The knowledge that I gained at L’Ecole des Sables, on African tradition and traditional dances has inspired me to further research in order to develop myself as an African rooted artist. My eyes were opened to the importance of retaining an African identity in my work, no matter what style I choose as my starting point. I feel as though I arrived in Senegal as an empty bottle, and have returned full of new ideas and inspirations. My interest in working collaboratively with African artists has been heightened, and I have created new connections, which I will keep and nurture.
Alesandra Seutin in Senagal
SEEKING OUT THE NEW GENERATION BY ECKHARD THIEMANN (PROMOTER) My first visit in 2005 took me to the Zanzibar Festival as part of a professional delegation organised by Visiting Arts, Arts Council England South East and the French embassy in London. Slightly frustrated at the small dance programme, but hugely inspired by the people I met, and getting a hunch to dig deeper, I used what was originally designed to be my beach holiday, as an opportunity to seek out the key people and venues in Tanzania and Kenya. In the span of a few days I met such inspirational figures as choreographer Opiyo Okach and Joy Mboya, director of Godown Arts Centre. From this trip resulted a passionate interest in promoting the new generation of African artists. Since this trip I have also visited South Africa and Nigeria, as well as North Africa (Tunisia and Egypt) and regularly attend performances of African artists in France and Germany, where work is often shown before it reaches the UK. I encountered a new generation of dance artists, whose work is governed by strong individual aesthetics. They proudly position their work in a global context, and are savvy as to how they connect internationally. They challenge me to watch dance in new ways.
DANCING THE AKOMAPA EXPERIENCE IN GHANA. BY CLEO LAKE (RESEARCHER/CHOREOGRAPHER) As a member of Akumapa Dance Ensemble, Bristol, I have trained and collaborated with the director Mr Tetteh Amatey. However, I wished to understand more about the depth of African dance and my place within it. I longed to find a successful marriage of the power of African dance with the possibilities of contemporary dance concepts. Tetteh suggested I visit the Akomapa centre in Ghana. So I travelled to Ghana in 2009 to train at Akomapa. In addition to training with the company, I was often called upon by the director (Mr Aikins Hyde) to give my observations as an outside eye. This was a useful tool for me as a choreographer/dancer and for the company. A highlight of my trip was the open day held at the Akomapa Centre on Christmas Eve. The event included joyous song, traditional/contemporary dance, and dance theatre. The last dance was incredibly profound. Consisting of improvisation, narrative and fetish dance, the piece was about a lost son who rejoins his parents and becomes a man. I found this piece exhilarating. All boundaries between contemporary and traditional dance were absent. This was something special and it felt like there was a pioneering movement happening right in front of me and that I was in some small way a part of it. I now have a new layer of respect for dance. I have learnt
that the process of dancing involves connecting to something bigger than oneself, and that dance is a vehicle to deliver an ancestral message though the body. The dances I witnessed and learnt bear a sense of history rarely documented, and to that end, dance has enabled my discovery and connection to my own unknown histories, providing me with a living dialogue with my ancestors.
BREAKING NEW GROUND IN ETHIOPIA. BY ZELA GAYLE (TEACHER/ADAD TRAILBLAZER) For the past year I have been in Ethiopia teaching Dance/ PE in an international school. During this time I secured a part-time post at the University of Addis Ababa as the dance specialist on the Musical Theatre degree programme. My purpose was to give the undergraduates a four-month practical taster course in dance, and thus the tools to become better all round performers. I taught them aspects of Afro-cuban dance and Jazz. The students found the course difficult, as they’d had no experience in modern dance apart from basic movement to enhance characterisation. However, they did have their own knowledge of traditional Ethiopian dance forms, which they were happy to share with me. The language of the university is Amharic, but as my knowledge of Amharic was limited, I was allowed to teach in English- a great relief! The students loved the course, and they particularly took to Jazz dance. This could have been due to the fact that there’s an established Ethiopian/Jazz fusion music scene, so the students were able to find connections and thus an appreciation for Jazz dance. The course culminated in a performance where the students showed a range of pieces (both drama and dance) that showcased the skills they’d gleaned from me. Due to the success of the dance taster course, and the positive feedback from the students and members of the faculty, the university has decided to create a full-time dance module as part of the Musical Theatre degree programme, which they would like me to design and implement. My experience in Ethiopia has been amazing, and I feel it will get even better. Along with my work at the university, I have ideas as to how to enhance my work at the international school and I have also been asked to develop dance and choreography with a youth theatre company. To have the opportunity to be a pioneer for modern dance in Ethiopia, and to put my ideas into action in a place that holds so much promise, is something that I could never have even imagined. I can’t wait to return!
Photograph by Chris Nash
ADAD IN THE NORTH LEGACIES AND FUTURES BY CHRISTY ADAIR Leeds has been a hothouse for professional dance development for over thirty years and is, therefore, a good choice as a base for ADAD in the north. Lisa Thomas has just taken up her post with ADAD, based in the Phoenix offices, with a remit to raise the profile of artists of the African Diaspora in the region. Lisa is well-placed to develop this project drawing on her experience in the education department for Birmingham Royal Ballet where she was involved in outreach community work. The role of education and the community is a theme which is central to the work of many artists in the region.
conference, which he organised at De Montfort University (June 2007). Today, artists need to be fully informed of the context in which their work is produced and read within the global economy. Without such understanding, artists become disempowered. One of the issues in relation to the dance work of artists from the African Diaspora is terminology
There is a lot going on in Leeds at the moment, with the artist mentoring programme at Yorkshire Dance, and Phoenix Dance Company moving into its new building with Northern Ballet Theatre in January 2011 under the artistic directorship of Sharon Watson. It was Sharon who identified the need for ADAD in the north to give recognition to the work in the region, and to foster the confidence of emerging artists. The plan is to establish a firm base in Leeds from which to make links with artists in other areas of the North, and gradually set up events in the wider locality. Lisa has been speaking to artists who welcomed ADAD, and wanted to be able to network in the location in which they worked rather than having to travel to London to go to meetings and events. The current focus for ADAD is to provide a resource for artists through creating a network and running events some of which will be run alongside the London branch.
Yorkshire Dance Terms used for dance practices was one of the areas of debate at a recent panel held at Yorkshire Dance, entitled Presence and Purpose (November 2009) chaired by Eckhard Thiemann (producer of African Crossroads: Dance Umbrella 2009). Panel members were Jeanette Bain: ADAD, Kiki Gale: East London Dance, Deborah Baddoo: State of Emergency, Sharon Watson: Phoenix Dance Theatre, and myself (Christy Adair, York St John University). After Eckhard’s introduction, artists Freddie Opuku-Addaie, Harriet Macauley and Alesandra Seutin showed excerpts of their work, and spoke of their creative endeavours. A number of key themes emerged from the debate. Artists navigate complex political and cultural contexts, and in order to be successful, they need to be knowledgeable and strategic. Being informed and entrepreneurial offers options, and ADAD plays an important role in this area. For some artists there is a fine line between wanting to make work that is culturally specific, and being defined and categorised by funders and critics.
Whilst some events will be in the North, others will be held in London. An example of this is the Re-generations conference, which will be held on 5th – 6th November 2010, at London Metropolitan University. This conference will offer dance artists, audiences and writers an opportunity to explore current research in the field of ‘dance of the African Diaspora’ during a two-day event. The value in exchange between artists and writers was identified by Professor Ramsay Burt in the Black Britons in Dance
In a discussion about ‘what holds artists back’, it was noted that the sector struggles with ‘the freedom to be unpredictable’, which many artists take for granted. Dance critics sometimes compound this position by writing about work without sufficient understanding of the context and the work they are writing about. It was also noted that there is a general lack of knowledge about the rich history and context of British Dance legacies. This is a theme which is explored in Voicing Black Dance (ADAD: 2007). Greta
Mendez comments that today’s artists often don’t know about dancers who danced before them, and don’t realise that what they are creating has been done before. Corrine Bougaard talks about dis-inheritedness of those from the African Diaspora, and Peter Badejo refers to the lack of infrastructure in relation to this area. Both the book and the debate at Yorkshire dance highlight the issue that the wealth of information which companies and choreographers hold is repeatedly lost or ignored. Mentoring programmes are one way to begin to address this issue, and Yorkshire Dance have instituted a career mentoring programme for fourteen artists, one of which is Pauline Mayers, a former dancer with Phoenix Dance Theatre, who has also danced with Opera North, and held some key education positions. Douglas Thorpe, also a former dancer with Phoenix is an associated artist of Yorkshire Dance. Such initiatives contribute to, as Wieke Eringa, Director of Yorkshire Dance comments: ‘Leeds proving itself as the dance city of the north of England’ Phoenix Dance Theatre The Company is clearly a catalyst for much of the creative work in the area. Many of the Company’s former dancers have initiated significant creative projects within the region, nationally and internationally. Sharon Watson, in her role as artistic director for Phoenix, and with her experience as a dancer and choreographer for the company, is bridging the past and the present with her current vision for the company. She is keen to build on the important legacy of Phoenix, and to work with ADAD to encourage artists in the region to find a powerful voice through which they can influence future creative projects. Sharon is also keen for ADAD to have a presence in the new building which Phoenix will move into in the new year, details of which are currently being negotiated with Northern Ballet Theatre. There has been so much controversy about the legacy of Phoenix, I was interested to hear Sharon’s current perspective on it. She had just attended a very positive awayday with the Company Board. She views the Phoenix legacy as helping to ‘catapult the Company vision into the future’ and said ‘it was a strength which opened her own thinking’. Phoenix are about to celebrate thirty years as a successful contemporary dance company, and Sharon is reflecting on the journey from the early beginnings to the many successes which are embodied in the present company. The legacies are integral to the Company. An example of one of the legacies is the work of Andile Sotiya, and Douglas Thorpe, who both danced for Phoenix, in collaboration with ACE, Birmingham. Both artists worked with ACE Director Gail Parmel to produce work Switch (Sotiya) and Listen (Thorpe) which toured in 2009/10 and was performed at this year’s British Dance Edition. Former dancers not only make their mark as choreographers but also as key administrators. Pam Johnson trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, which is also part of the region’s dance infrastructure. She is now Dance Officer for the Arts Council England, Yorkshire.
Commenting on a recent Yorkshire Dance initiative, Johnson said: ‘Yorkshire has a long, successful history of producing talented dance artists.’ Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Dance Companies in the Region Graduates from the school have joined companies throughout the UK and beyond, and a number have also had an impact within the region through their own companies, their teaching, and their input into Yorkshire Dance. Kevin Turner who danced with Phoenix and Anthony Missen who danced with Scottish Dance Theatre formed their own successful Company Chameleon which is based in Manchester. Their work with young men was received with enthusiasm at this year’s British Dance Edition. As well as developing their own choreography and collaborating with other Yorkshire based choreographers such as Beth Cassani, Turner and Missen are committed to dance education and offering role models for young males drawing on their own experiences from their roots in inner city Manchester. RJC is another company which values role models and education. The company, which was formed in 1993, describes itself as coming ‘from a Black British perspective…youth, education and community work is at the heart of RJC Dance’s provision. RJC Dance artistic team provide authentic and positive role models who originate from the black community in Chapeltown, Leeds’ David Hamilton was one of the founders of both Phoenix Dance Company and RJC, and has recently staged a spectacular dance theatre production in which over 70 Leeds residents took part including Northern Ballet Theatre’s youth group, ‘Ignite’. The production ‘Come Skank Wid Eye’ draws on Bob Marley’s music and dance style, skanking. David was also one of the choreographers and dancers for Geraldine Connor’s production, Carnival Messiah, at the West Yorkshire playhouse,. Futures The north has nurtured many influential dance artists from the African Diaspora, and has a strong tradition of dance education. Today, companies continue to initiate innovative training and education programmes, and together with dance agencies and Youth Dance England, offer a range of opportunities for young people, which may enable them to become the dance artists of tomorrow. ADAD’s new presence in the region will offer a powerful and effective means of establishing artists’ voices at the centre of dance practice, and making visible the strong heritage of dance from the African Diaspora. Christy Adair is Professor of Dance Studies at York St John University. Her book, Dancing the Black Question: the Phoenix Dance Company Phenomenon (Dance Books: 2007) offers a significant critique of key issues in performance. Her research interests, developed in Women and Dance: sylphs and sirens (Macmillan: 1992), continue to focus on gender and ethnicity in relation to dance studies and performance. Her current writing draws on her research in East Africa.
HERE TO STAY
AFRO-CARIBBEAN DANCE TAKES ROOT IN NORWAY BY THOMAS TALAWA PRESTØ, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF TABANKA CREW AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN PEOPLES DANCE ENSEMBLE Walking down the snow clad main street of Norway’s capital Oslo, your attention is drawn towards the sweet distant sound of Steel drums playing. That is, if you can ignore the clatter of your own teeth. Curious of this phenomenon, which is as uncommon here as the Northern lights would be in the Congo, you follow the sound to its source. A big open window, spouting steam like a pressure-cooker. Inside through the steam, you can make out bodies moving, gyrating, twirling, dipping and jumping. It seems that the dancers inside are oblivious to the harsh reality of winter, with a temperature close to minus 30 degrees. Some people might walk hurriedly past the window, afraid of what surely must be madness. One simply does not dance in winter. But some, who have the sun in their blood, feel the pull, and often come in to sit and watch. On occasion, some have found themselves joining in, forgetting that they are clothed for winter… This is Norway. Norway is a different place from Britain. It is known for the Nobel Peace Price, and for being one of the richest countries in the world. I do not have much space, nor time, to elaborate about the differences, but I will give you some facts and an observation, in order to quickly put things in perspective for you as to some of the realities of Norway. Black people cannot donate blood here, as their blood is not considered clean. There is no real room for African Peoples Dance here. Hip hop, which is often a strong point of identification for black youths, is dominated by Asians. Dreadlocks and Bob Marley are more often fronted by white youths, proudly sporting the latest in beeswax extensions, with little acknowledgment of their cultural symbolism. However, times are changing. Revolution has come to Norway. I am Thomas ‘Talawa’ Prestø, a Norwegian/Trinidadian dancer, choreographer and director. For the past 12 years I have been gathering information on Caribbean and African dance. I first studied the traditional Caribbean dances, then linked them to their roots on the African continent. By studying the similarities and differences in meaning, ethos, stances, etc, I sought to find the essence of the dances, and to separate the aesthetics from the pure technique. What became apparent was that there are
distinct technical reasons for the stances in African dance, and with the help of an orthopedist and a chiropractor, I recognised the link between the stances and alleviating stress on the spine and joints. For example, when doing the spinal rolls/undulations of the Benin people of Nigeria, technique and understanding of angles, force and pressures is extremely important. These spinal rolls are not gentle and smooth like the ones in the Yanvoulou. These rolls make your back wave and roll like the raging sea. Energy is drawn from the ground, channeled up your spine, and just as the pressure builds in your neck, you twist your hips, causing the pressure to flip over your shoulders and go back down the front of your body to reconnect to the ground. In the Sabar dances of the Senegambia, the secret to the enormous speed and agility in those high fast kicks lies in the twisting of your hips. Several years ago, Kathe rine Dunham in creating Dunham technique revealed that African and Caribbean dancers’ control and use of hips, and how this affects the African technical dancing body, has not been given enough attention.
I see that the young inherently know this. Through working with youth, I identified that they did not just favor hip movements because of the sexual undertones it has in the West. The young people said it felt natural, it felt like remembering. Whenever they were showed movements centering on the spine, they would cling to the information as well as the history of the dance. The concept of hips moving because of the placement of a second rattle (hip beads), and not because of sexual communication was welcome and received as a relief by both males and females. My dance classes were filled with as many black boys as black girls. Hips moved on everyone, as they explored the dances of their ancestors. Postures went from crouching and bent, what Trini grandfather generation often refer to as “slave posture”, to the proud arch of the African royal spine. Pride shone from the eyes of the dancers, and history was spun from their hips. Fast-forward two years. In 2009, I was armed with 30 young trained dancers, the newly established Tabanka Crew African and Caribbean Peoples Dance Ensemble. With the burning desire to share our joy and passion with the country we call home, Tabanka entered the Norwegian version of Britain’s got Talent. There we were given the choice of either putting the group’s two blond members in the forefront, or not moving on in the competition. The program was afraid that the group’s “urban” profile with a majority of blacks would not go down well with the audience. Having the white members as principal dancers would be much preferred and more impressive in their opinion. The choice was not a hard one. We chose to focus on digging deeper into African and Caribbean dance, and spread the message through music videos, and dancing for some of the bigger black artists in the country, as well as for visiting International artists Elephant Man, Mr. Vegas, and others. Nike and Lebara Mobile (now Tabanka’s two main sponsors) saw the movement we were creating and decided to join and support it. Soon my dance company had built a name of its own and was touring the very country television believed would not welcome them. 2010 came, and Tabanka was approached by the television production company, asking if we would consider re-entering the competition. After some consideration we agreed, and decided to use the opportunity to prove a point. Six dancers were chosen, and these were all African and Caribbean dancers. We opened our competition with a piece of African dance choreography set to Alison Hinds’s version of Faluma. This was the first time an all black Norwegian group was competing on Norwegian Television. The response was enormous. Black mothers and fathers were calling from all over the country, thanking the group for representing. Tabanka dancers would arrive late to work or school because people would hold them back on the bus or subway- not starstruck, but grateful that they could finally turn on the television and find something
reflecting them beaming back. This furthered our resolve and made it apparent that Tabanka’s choice of who represented us was if nothing else, NECESSARY. Action was taken to get the media to focus on the fact that the members of the company also run after school activities for black youth, that several are studying Economics, Psychology and more, in addition to dance. It was a unique chance to show black youth as positive role models. Tabanka’s final piece on the television show was a Caribbean Pique and Rara set to Tusty by Blaxx. More than 40% of the country’s television sets were tuned to TV 2 on the night the group performed. There were over a million viewers. This, in a country with only 4.5 million inhabitants. History was made, and a point was proven. We are relevant, we are strong, we are not to be underestimated. We are Talawa. Reality has also set in. African dance, although having proven that it is liked and indisputably relevant, is not considered art, nor is it considered technical by the mainstream dance environment. It does not receive any form of funding from the arts councils. If not for private sponsorship, Norway would not have a presence of African and Caribbean dance vocabulary. However, while Tabanka wait for the funding powers to open their eyes, the people have spoken and continue to show their choice through bookings. This challenge is facing APD all over the world. APD practitioners need to join forces across the waters, and also learn to use modern media like, Youtube, Facebook, and television to show the people that we exist and to educate the next generation before the traditional dances are swallowed up and forgotten in this age of misinformation and misrepresentation. Tabanka have set out to create history and break down every barrier. We are young modern dancers with knowledge of the past and our ancestors’ history and techniques. Their power lives on in us, and like them, we will not be stopped. We use traditional dance and the vocabulary and aesthetics in a new way. This is ancient power with a modern use. We will use television, internet and media to educate the masses. We are relevant, and we have come to stay. Photograph by Liv Seif
Photograph by Paul Kolnik
Dance Consortium present Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 2010 UK Tour 14 September – 23 October 2010
Recently celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, and here presenting a world premiere, America’s ‘Cultural Ambassador to the World’, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the UK for an eight-city national tour this Autumn. Presented by Dance Consortium, the tour opens with a 12 night run at Sadler’s Wells from Tuesday 14 September to Saturday 25 September 2010. The company visits Nottingham’s Royal Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre, Bradford Alhambra and Edinburgh Festival Theatre, before culminating with two performances at Newcastle Theatre Royal on 22 and 23 October 2010. Go to www.danceconsortium.com for further details of dates and booking information.
EVENTS LISTINGS September 14 – October 23, 2010 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 2010 UK Tour Sadlers Wells, Nottingham’s Royal Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre, Bradford Alhambra and Edinburgh Festival Theatre and Newcastle Theatre Royal. For more information: www.danceconsortium.com September 15th 2010 (running for 4 months) Declarations, produced by Phoenix Dance Theatre Declarations is a perfect example of the diverse mixed programmes Phoenix is famed for. The bill features the world premiere of Isira Makuloluwe’s beautiful Locked In Vertical and a revival of a classic from Phoenix’s past in Philip Taylor’s atmospheric Haunted passages. Phoenix Dance Theatre, Yorkshire Dance, 3 St Peter’s Buildings, St Peter’s Square, Leeds, LS9 8AH For more information: www. phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk September 18 - 19, 2010 Afro Dance Xplosion (London) Presented by Feel the Rhythm productions, Afro Dance Xplosion (London) brings together some of the hottest African Diaspora dance practitioners to deliver a dynamite weekend of dance classes and workshops. Islington Arts Factory, London N7 0SF. For more information: www.facebook.com/ Feel the Rhythm Productions October 3rd 2010 Wild Dog, produced by Tavaziva Dance Following the success of ‘Heart of Darkness’ Tavaziva Dance unleash their gripping production ‘Wild Dog’ onto the stage this Autumn. Bernie Grant Arts Centre,Town Hall Approach Road,Tottenham Green,London N15 4RX For more information: www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk October 5 – 23, 2010 AfroVibes A festival of cutting edge and confronting theatre, dance and visual arts from South Africa, produced by UK Arts International. The Albany, London; The Drum, Birmingham; Contact Theatre, Manchester. For more information: www.ukarts.com October 11th & 12th 2010 Frusted Frusted is a breathtaking and eclectic dance theatre piece performed by five powerful dancers, choreographed by Alesandra Seutin and Vicki Igbokwe under the banner of the ADiaspora Collective. Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London For more information: www.danceumbrella.co.uk October 27, 2010 (running for 6 months) Black Dance in Britain - 1930s to 1990s: Moments on tour in Leeds ADAD’s historic photographic exhibition narrating the history that informs the work of Black dancers in contemporary Britain. Shine, Harehills Road, Leeds LS8 5HS. For more information: www.adad.org.uk November 5 - 6, 2010 Re:Generations – International Perspectives on Dance of the African Diaspora Produced by ADAD, State of Emergency, IRIE! dance theatre and London Metropolitan University – an opportunity to participate in shaping the future of dance of the African Diaspora. London Metropolitan University, Holloway Road London N7 8DB. For more information: www.regenerations.eventbrite.com
Alvin Ailey’s ‘Revelations’; Photograph by Nan Melville
CLASSES LISTINGS Monday Soca Aerobics (Open) TIME: 19:30 - 21:00 COST: £2.50 IRIE! dance theatre Moonshot Centre Tel: 020 8691 6099 New Cross, SE14 6LU Jamaican Dancehall with Paradigmz (Open) TIME: 20.00 – 21.30 COST: £5, plus £5 daily membership fee Danceworks Tel: 0207 629 6183 London, W1K 6TN www.danceworks.co.uk Lambada Zouk Class TIME:19:30 for beginners 20:30 for intermediate until 23:00 COST: £3 per class, £5 for both classes Inn on the Green lindale_t@yahoo.com Ladbroke Grove, W10 5XL African Dance with Rubba (Open) TIME:18:00-20:00 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC UK InAlignment Studio Bristol, BS1 3QY info@dmacuk.com Capoeira Angola with Bob (Open) TIME: 20:00-22:00 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC UK, Bristol As listed above
Traditional Pan-African Dance with Louis Roger-Eboa (Open) TIME: 19.15– 20.15 COST: £4, £3.80 concession, £3.50 student/youth Bristol Community Dance Centre Tel: 0117 9292118 Bristol, BS8 1DX
Tuesday African dances from across the continent with Frititi (Open) TIME: 20:00- 22:00 COST: £10 Brixton Recreation Centre, Tel: 0207 923 0585; 0784 629 9978; 0788 375 9938 enquiries@frititi.com Brixton, London SW9 8QQ www.frititi.com/ www.myspace.com/niitagoe African Dance with Ukachi Akalawu (Open) TIME:11.00am – 12.30pm COST: £75, £26 concession, Non-EU: £158 Starting 21st Sept for 10 weeks Kensington & Chelsea College, Wornington Centre Tel: 020 7573 3600 London, W0 5QQ www.kcc.ac.uk /www.akaraaka.com African Dance with Rubba TIME: 18:00-20:00 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC UK, Bristol As listed above IRIE! Adults -Caribbean Fusion with Sheba Monsterrat TIME: 19:30-21:00 COST: £3.50 per class, £25 per term Starts September 14th for 10 weeks IRIE! dance theatre As listed above Capoeira – Angola and Regional with Claudio Campos (Open) TIME: 18.20 – 19.50 COST: £4.50, £4 concession Bristol Community Dance Centre As listed above
Wednesday Guinean Dance with Idrissa Camara (Open) TIME: 19:00-21:00 COST: £10 8th September - 29th September Brixton Arts Space dundunkini@gmail.com London, SW2 1RS Dance Afreaka - African Dance workout (Open) TIME: 20:30-21:30 COST: Full term £36, £25 concession; £6.50 per class £4.50 concession Starting 22nd Sept for 10 weeks Aspire, Southfields community collage Wandsworth, SW18 5JU www.danceafreaka.com/
ADAD Trailblazer Simone Foster; Photograph by Giorgio Bruni
Look out for these African Peoples Dance Classes across the UK!
Traditional Pan- African with Helen Mcgreary (Beginners) TIME: 18.00- 17-00 COST: £4.50 Llandygai Church Hall Tel: 07751 017 157 North Wales, LL57 4HU helenmcgreary7@hotmail.com Afro-Eclectic Contemporary with VOCAB DANCE Company (Intermediate/Advanced) TIME: 19:30pm – 20:00 COST: £5 per class (£4.50 pre booking in person/by phone & concessions) Chisenhale Dance Space Tel: 020 89816617 London, E3 5QZ www.vocabdance.co.uk Sabar Dance with Batch (Open) TIME: 19:00-20:00 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC UK As listed before STREET JAZZ with Oscar Anderson Main (Beginners) TIME: 20.15pm – 21.15 COST: £4, £3.80 concession, £3.50 student/youth Bristol Community Dance Centre As listed above
Thursday Family Fun - Creative Dance with African Dance and Story Telling (Open) TIME: 16:30-18:00 COST: FREE Starting 30th September for 4 weeks Tower Hamlets Lifelong Learning As listed above Kids Capoeira with Ollie TIME: 16:15-17:30 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC, Bristol As listed above Capoeira Angola with Bob TIME: 20:00-22:00 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC, Bristol As listed above Reggae Contemporary Dance with David Hamilton (Open) TIME: 19:30 - 20:30 COST: £2.50 The Lodge, 49 Nassau Place, Leeds, LS7 Tel: 07935092735 Community Aerobics Classes with a mix of Reggae, Calypsoca, Jazz, Street and Salsa (Open) TIME: 19:00 – 20:00 COST: £3.00 RJC Dance The Mandela Centre Chapeltown Road, Leeds, LS7 3HY Tel: 0113 239 2040
Friday African Dance with Charles Maema (Open) TIME: 19:00-20:30 COST: £2.50 IRIE! dance theatre As listed above Traditional Pan- African with Helen Mcgreary (Beginners) TIME: 18.00- 17-00 COST: £4.50 Llandygai Church Hall, North Wales As listed above
Saturday African Dance (Open) TIME: 12.30 - 14.30 COST: £44, £19 concession Weekly starting 25th September Tower Hamlets Lifelong Learning As listed above African Contemporary classes with Lerato Lipere (Open) TIME:16:00-17:00 COST: £5 Bernie Grant Arts Centre Tottenham Green N15 4RX African Dance - Guinean with Idrissa Camara (Open) Every other Saturday TIME: 11:45-13:45 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC, Bristol As listed above African Dance with Ayitey (Open) TIME: 15:15-16:45 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers DMAC, Bristol As listed above
Sunday Soul Jazz with Suzette Rocca (Intermediate) TIME: 11:00– 13:00 COST: £8, £6 members Hornsey YMCA Tel: 07866795810 London N8 8SG www.soul-jazz-dance.co.uk
Daily/ Various days
Tavaziva Dance Open Company Class (Professional) TIME: 10:00-12.00 COST: £5 Autumn classes from 13th Sept daily Advance payment and booking essential jenny@tavazivadance.com www.tavazivadance.com Southern African Dance with Lucky Moyo (Open) TIME: 19:00 – 21:00 COST: Prices vary, contact organisers Tel: 0 7859778755 African Consortium: Various locations in Kent and Medway www.luckymoyo.com, www.uzambeziarts.com
ADAD, URDANG, FINSBURY TOWN HALL, ROSEBERY AVENUE, LONDON EC1R 4QT
AAADT; Photograph by Andrew Eccles
T: + 44 207 841 7357 E: INFO@ADAD.ORG.UK