The residency started with brainstorming of ideas for Vumbi, and led to the workshop, where we shared and exchanged concepts, methods and techniques of different traditional African dances. The dance classes we held for the local artists were a way to impact knowlesge into the upcoming dancers and it was a great success. The premiere of Vumbi at Dance Umbrella was outstanding, and received good comments from the audience and the festival director. I learnt to be patient and perseverent when working with artists from different artistic and cultural backgrounds.
Vumbi as a project is the backbone of her future and we dancers and choreographers believe in her dream, so we look forward and backward never. We tend to tour this piece in Africa and the world in diaspora, but first in Africa for one of our aims and targets is to break barriers and bring togetherness in the heart of African dance.
Grant Year : 2010
Profile : Dancer
Gender : M
Mobility project
To attend the “Vumbi – Dust” Residency, hosted by the Lucky Dance Theatre in Johannesburg: a platform bringing dancers and choreographers together from different parts of Africa, to exchange ideas relevant to the development of African dance and to dance artists; to create a network of artists in regions within Africa and to create a dance piece that will represent today’s trends in contemporary dance.
Session
September
Type of Project
Residency
Departure : Lagos, Nigeria
Destination : Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud