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Tag: dance

  • Dance, new guy on the block, dance

    EVERYBODY, including the professional, has a passion. Some, their passion is for drink binging; some for dancing while for some others, theirs is for women. Whatever one’s passion is, has little, if any, effect on his or her professional competence; the reason why some of the best marksmen in the military are to be found among those of them who believe in not just work but wine and women. Or, some of the finest hands in Nigerian journalism whose writing or editing prowess comes to the fore when they act their passion. Step in Solomon Babatunde Oshuntolu, one of the best sportswriters this country has ever produced, who as “ESBEE” in the glorious Daily Times years, was simply fabulous with his racy sportswriting and uncommon page planning.

    Without his cigarettes and bottle of stout, it was doubtful if he could ever reach his optimum in newspaper production. Chris Ikeokwu, who christened himself “Ayo Alabi” to avoid soldiers harassment in the civil war years for being Igbo, was a damned good newsman on the Daily Times but he came off best only after he must have downed a minimum of 10 bottles of beer.

    Those were their passions but it never affected their professional ability or proficiency on their job. It also reminds me of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and Governor Olagunsola Oyinlola before him, who are adept at dancing to local drumming or the ‘dadakwada’ that woe betide the not-toosurefooted who attempt to dare them on the dance floor. I recall all of these because of the videos that had gone viral about a certain boisterous businessman who fate threw up to the centre stage of national politics.

    He was minding his private business while his elder brother was a top notch politician who became senator after serving out a term as the first civilian governor of Osun state. Suddenly, Isiaka Adeleke, otherwise known as Serubawon, died and a frenzy of activities began within and outside the family of the Ede trailblazers; and fate threw up Demola to come and fill the vacuum created by his senior brother’s death. Nurudeen, (the meaning of which in Islam means “imole esin”) Ademola Adeleke has had a reputation for being a bubbly guy whose passion tends towards dancing.

    Elder brother, Deji, a financial whiz kid and shrewd businessman who once owned Pacific Merchant Bank before he moved to other things, is the reticent type who minds his money-making business; but I hear he’s the family’s ATM when it comes to funding his brothers’ political adventures. When some years ago, I met Demola at a party in Lagos and he gyrated to the sounds of King Sunny Ade and his world beat, I knew a dancing champion had come to town. I’m a good dancer myself but I won’t let Demola hear of that, if I don’t want to suffer ribs dislocation. At the party I referred to, Demola was the cynosure of all eyes the way he shook all over, especially to KSA’s special beat: ” o ti serubawon.. eh, eh .. o ti ja won laiya, etc, etc”.

    That was the stuff he displayed on the videos that went viral. Many reactions to the videos tend to believe the new Senator may be a minus in the Red Chamber but I beg to differ; but before I make my point here, let me quickly note that what’s happening now shows the limit of being a public officer holder – your privacy dissolves once you step into the public arena! The Adelekes, from their patriarch who served in his lifetime as a Senator in the Second Republic, are a family of achievers. Dr Deji Adeleke has a reputation for being a focussed, visionary business guru; Isiaka went away with a record no one could take away from him till the end of time as the first civilian governor of Osun State who also had the record of being the second politician after Awolowo to have whirlwind campaigns, shuttling between countless number of towns, villages and hamlets in Osun with an helicopter.

    His electioneering then was dizzying and innovative that Chief Ebenezer Babatope was the first to predict resounding victory for Serubawon Adeleke then when others were still guessing the Governorship could go either his way or his other opponents’. Those records impose a heavy burden on Demola, the new Senator in town not only to live his passion as a fantastic dancer but to paint the Upper Chamber more red with superlative performance and that’s not a tall order, methinks. In the meantime, dance, ol’boy, dance. Or, didn’t someone write that happiness is not something to be postponed; it is something designed for the moment!

  • Restructuring lyrics and dance on the street

    SIR: When dancers demands for a change of music, it is obvious that the old music is no longer satisfactory. Restructuring is the latest music and if you are just entering Nigerian shore for the first time, you don’t need a magician to tell you that the political atmosphere, religious houses, mechanic shops and even street corners are wearing a dolorous looks.

    From the four cardinal points in the country, it is the same music and very loud indeed. Why have the agitations suddenly become louder and are now championed by the deconstructionists who were in power before? Could it be a conspiracy of the elites for 2019 election? We must sincerely answer these questions if the marriage called Nigeria must survive the testy moment.

    If the foundation of a building is faulty, it sinks and casualties become inevitable!  October 1, 1960 as we all know is our independence year, but as things stands, October 1 is singing a different song. It is no longer breaking news that Arewa youths gave October 1 as quick notice to the Igbo; East gave same October 1 to actualize their Biafrexit; some Niger Delta militants set same October 1 to bomb oil installations if their demands are not met; the South –west, not left out of the wired atmosphere spearheaded by Afenifere and OPC, asked for implementation of Jonathan’s 2014 National Conference report. The Middle Belt, also not comfortable with their brothers in the core north perceived to be marginalising them in power sharing and the murmuring is on. What a special October!

    What exactly are we restructuring? What is wrong with our system? Nigerians from all indications are calling for true federalism, where the federating states are allowed to compete favourably well with their individual resources and contribute their quotas to the government at the centre. But instead, we are operating a unitary system and that is why states have become parasite to the federal government. If manna stopped falling from Abuja as it is today, some states would go into extinction.

    Nigeria remains an unanswered question, more than a century after the amalgamation of 1914. Before and after the independence, virtually every government has had to deal with same national issue. In 1977, Nigeria’s Constituent Assembly that gave birth to 1979 constitution almost ended in kerfuffle.  In 2005, National political reforms conference hit a brick wall when Niger Delta representatives staged a walk-out for not being carried along fairly. Same situation replicated in 2014 National Conference conducted by Jonathan. The government of the day says they were not being carried along, therefore, resolutions should be dumped and President Buhari never open the documents until his medical trip.

    Again, Nigerians are calling for the same conference or a referendum. Isn’t it glaring that Nigerian government should take a decision? Should we wait until second civil war is fully declared?

    The war drums all over the country shouldn’t be taken for granted. Yes, the marriage called Nigeria is indissoluble, but we must prevent it by listening to the music of agitations and of course, the need to return Nigeria to the federating units as it were in the 60s before

    it was tinkered by the military.  So, the agitators shouldn’t be seen as opportunists or political gangsters as one governor from the North averred.

    The debate about restructuring and renegotiation is important and urgent to hold the union of different tribes, ethnic groups and characters together.

     

    • Alifia Sunday,

    Ilorin, Kwara State.

  • Dance, drama at Indian cultural fiesta

    Dance, drama at Indian cultural fiesta

    The Indian High Commission, in collaboration with the Indian Cultural Association last weekend held a musical festival tagged: Goa Musical Fiesta, at the premises of the High Commission of India in Lagos.

    The event featured dances from a Goa troupe from the Kala Academy. They were brought into Nigeria by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in an effort to nurture cultural ties amongst nations such as Nigeria that host a large Indian Community.

    According to President of the Indian Cultural Association, Chief Sanjay Jain, the event will boost the relations between the host community and then through variety of dances that give a glimpse into the beautiful Goan culture.

    While explaining further, he noted that Goa lies on the west coast of India and presents a happy blend of eastern and western culture with a rich tradition of folklore; art and architecture combined with contemporary designs, media and cuisine.

    “We have the Lamp Dance which will give an insight into Goan grace, skill, handicraft and art. We also have the act on Veerbhadra that promises to make us revisit the Hindu mythology; the Zagor that leaves us with the nuances of the Marathi theatre scene and the spectacular Ghode Modini, which is a dance that recapitulates the successful exploits of the Goan warriors of yesteryears.”

    Head of Chancery of the Commission, Kapoor Jagdish was optimistic that the performance and passion of the dance left many clapping and dancing to the rhythm of the beat.

    Another highlight of the event was a raffle draw, where two won Afrione branded made in Nigeria android phones.

  • ‘Dance has taken me to the end of the earth’

    ‘Dance has taken me to the end of the earth’

    Sunday Israel Akpan is one of the most sought-after contemporary Nigerian dancers at the moment.  After seven months’ tour of some European and African countries with dance, this director of Lasgidi International Dance Festival had time out to share his experiences with Edozie Udeze in this revealing chat

    Sunday Israel Akpan is a choreographer, dancer, dance instructor and songwriter.  A specialist in Gumboot Dance, he is the instructor of that genre of dance on the Maltina Tv show.  It was for his expertise that he was engaged by many African and European countries on a seven month tour which ended last week.  In an interview, he admitted that it has been tough for him as he toured some cities and villages in parts of the world for the sake of dance.  He said, “I was away for seven months working on my pattern of dance.  It was in collaboration with some agencies and organisations in Africa and across the world.  In East Africa, I performed mostly traditional dances.  I also got sponsorship to tour parts of Europe where I performed both contemporary and traditional dance patterns.”

    For Akpan, whose love for unique ways of promoting dances has endeared him to many dance and music lovers across the world, the secret of his success depends largely on his tenacity of purpose.  “Yes”, he affirmed, “the dance tour came in three phases.  It started in Senegal, from there to Morocco, and then to Germany.  It was designed to sensitise the world on the rudiments of dance in the contemporary times.”

    Using the opportunity of an existing collaboration among African choreographers, Akpan decided to engage in the tour.  “It is through True Theatre in Germany that we got to be involved in the tour.  Their love for theatre is unparalleled.  They have programmes from time to time to sponsor African artistes to come over to Germany not only to perform but to also interact with other artistes from across the world.  We have had this collaboration since 2015 and it has been quite interactive to meet with other artistes from Europe in order to exchange ideas on different forms of traditional and contemporary dance patterns.”

    Akpan who has come to use his talent to indoctrinate others explained that his love for dance is not totally to enrich himself only.  “It is for me to use it to teach others.  Dance for me is a platform to help others.  I am not in it to be useful to myself only.  If you create a platform as a group, you feel you’re the boss.  No, I don’t want that.  With this sort of platform where there’s no boss or servant, people can have enough freedom for effective communication that will help to promote dance.  This constant dialogue among artistes is what we need to understand one another, to exchange ideas on how to ensure a better today and a prosperous tomorrow for the dance profession”, he said.

    As the director of Lasgidi International Dance Festival, he described the origin of his ongoing dance project titled ‘Consider me mad’.  “Oh”, he squirmed, beating his chest, “right now I have a project tagged consider me mad.  It is like a dance lab where I will invite artistes from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other parts of Africa to Nigeria to engage in a festival.  It is intended to bring all of us together as part of the general understanding for us to have collaborations and to exchange ideas based on cultural values,” he said.

    Just in a way to expand the ideas of dance, Akpan has been travelling to parts of Africa to preach the gospel of using dialogue to deepen the prospects of dance.  “We do not dialogue a lot in Africa.  But I say no, it is time we engage ourselves in that approach in order to take our art to the next level.  Apart from African dancers, Consider me mad, will attract artistes from Russia, Germany, France and other nations of Europe.  The package will be so total and compete that artistes will be able to learn more about Nigerian dances.”

    Even though as an artiste, Akpan set out as a contemporary dancer, he has been able also to inculcate traditional dances into his resume.  “Yes I have been able to learn various patterns of traditional dances.  I have this idea for free movement for artistic dialogue.  It involves all genres of dance.  The most important thing for us now is to engage in this artistic exchange when African and contemporary dance ideas will meet to find the way forward”.

    Akpan is an artiste who is ready to learn.  He is also in the habit of allowing other people’s cultural values to permeate his life.  “Over time”, he postulated, “What I have learnt about other people’s cultures is to accommodate them.  That you are a lesbian or gay does not make me hate or isolate you.  I may not like the concept or the habit.  But you have a culture in you that is good for me as an artiste.  I then tap into it and learn more ideas on dance and music”.

    He zeroed his ideas on religions where most people who are totally biased do not open up to new ideas.  “If you do not want to know about Christianity or Hinduism or Islam, for instance, how would you know what they preach or portend?” he asked.  “Life is all about being open to ideas; new ideas and ideologies to be able to learn more.”

    Dance has not only made Akpan rich and comfortable, he also confessed that he has more ideas to sell to the world.  “In the next few months, I’ll be on tour of Africa to meet with other dancers from across the continent.  This will take me to Senegal, Morocco and Tunisia.  It is to show basically how the world has come to accept Nigeria dance patterns, techniques and styles.  We do not have to blame the white man for every of our problems.  Let us create our own niche, our own concepts.  That way, we’ll stop referring to the white man as the purveyor of our problems, as the one who used Slave Trade to impoverish us.  When choreography is used to portray the basic components of dance, it is made more elaborate both on stage and for appreciation.  As the creator of the ideas, it is proper to make it stick on stage so that the total concept of dance is explored”, he said, smiling as he dashed along to concentrate on other dance assignments that needed his urgent attention.

  • Feast of music, dance

    Feast of music, dance

    Since it started in 2011, the Musical Youth Fiesta Initiative (MYFI) has been bringing together youths across Lagos to worship God. This year’s edition held at  Eko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island  was a thrilling festival of music, songs and drama. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

    It was a colourful event that drew thousands of people to the Expo Centre of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
    Children and young adults were dressed in rainbow colours. They came for a Christian musical concert, the Musical Youth Fiesta Initiative (MYFI).
    The yearly fiesta, initiated by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, brings together children and young adults from across the state. It is an occasion for revelry, thanksgiving and reminiscences. At every edition, churches do their best to worship God. This year was no different.
    “It is with great delight that I welcome everyone to the sixth edition of our yearly musical event. It was only yesterday when we began in 2011, and we thought it would be a one-time event. But here we are today celebrating the sixth edition. Truly, God’s hand is in this project and we give him all the glory,” said Senator Tinubu.
    There were several highpoints at this year’s fiesta. Besides the energetic songs, musical and dramatic performances, many will not forget in a hurry, the classic performance of five-year-old Monachi Nwankpa of Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM). Like a young prophet, she chose her words carefully while taking the opening prayer. She prayed for Nigeria with so much understanding as she brought the children, the organisers and the success of the event before God.
    The performances of saxophonists, Adebayo Kunle Ajayi and Peter Enoch, were electrifying.
    Guests were treated to exciting performances by the churches. Each group gave their best on stage. The participating churches included the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), MFM, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM), Apostolic Faith Church and Ayo Ni O.
    This year’s event was attended by dignitaries, such as wives of Lagos and Osun governors, Mrs Bolanle Ambode and Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola; Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Mrs Lola Akande; Hajia Abba Folawiyo; members of MYFI’s board and organising committee.
    “Truth” was the theme of the event. Nigerians were urged to embrace truth as they prepare for the Yuletide. Mrs Ambode linked many of the country’s problems to the “absence of truth” in national affairs. She urged Nigerians not to relent in their quest for “truth”, explaining that truth can be found in the word of God.
    She said: “Truth, an absolute term, breaks the shackles of disease, ignorance, superstition and poverty. Absolute honesty would guarantee your success and make you stand before kings and not mean men.
    “Great Nigerian youths, as you savour the joy of this moment, I enjoin us to note that there is only one way in your quest for greatness – there is only one Truth, only one Way – the man Jesus. That is the “Incontrovertible Truth.”
    She praised the efforts of the organisers, saying: “This initiative is no doubt a unique platform for talent discovery and the medium of self-actualisation for teeming Nigerian youths, many of whose talent would have remained undiscovered and unexplored for personal and vital development if not for initiatives like this. I salute the organisers (Senator Oluremi Tinubu and her board of directors) for their steadfastness over the period of six years. And we say more grease to their elbow. I wish you a fun filled and spiritually rewarding musical festival,” she added.
    For Senator Tinubu the theme, Truth, is peculiar, especially at a time when our youths are confronted with so many challenges due to advancement in technology”. The best way to typify truth is through a child’s analogy, she said, adding: “Our Lord Jesus affirmed this in Matthew 18:3 that if we can become little, we can gain access to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible says that perfect praise and strength of God is from the mouth of babies and sucklings. The battle is no longer the fight between ‘good and evil’ but ‘the truth and the lie’,” she said.
    MYFI Organising Committee Chairman Jide Sanwo-Olu said the concert encourages young talents.
    ”I believe that life and success of nations and their bright future lies in the hands of the generation of today. If youths of today have strong values, the best education, good health, right priorities and full sincerity, then we can say that the future is bright. It was an initiative that Senator Tinubu had then and some of us supported the idea, thinking it was a one-off event, but see how it has grown. We levy ourselves yearly and get partners.
    “It is not a competition or talent hunt show. The vision is for children and young adults can come together around the festive season to hear good music, be inspired, thankful to God and dream, because not many have the opportunity of coming to an environment like this. In terms of spread, the 57 local government are represented. We are grateful for the support of all the board members and sponsors, such as Eko Hotel, MTN, Honeywell Noodles, TVC, LTV, etc. ,” he said.

    MYFI Leadership
    academy graduate new set
    The music fiesta was a two-pronged event. It also saw the graduation of 18 teenagers from the MYFI Leadership Academy.
    According to Mr Sanwo-Olu, the MYFI gave birth to the Leadership Academy. “Two years ago, Senator Tinubu also thought beyond giving back that girls need to be mentored to greatness to believe they can be whatever they want to be.
    “Hence, the academy targets girls between the age of 13 and 18, with a mind of moulding them as leaders and focus-driven women. Along with other mentors, she invites people to school to teach them in various areas – the word of God, ethos, ethics and etiquette.”
    Adelabu Esther, 16, an SS3 of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, was one of the graduands. According to her, meeting Senator Tinubu and shaking hands with the governor’s wife were unforgettable moments for her. Being in the academy, she said, has taught her many things she did not know, observing: “It has really impacted on my life. I have learnt what it takes, especially as a girl-child, to be a leader.”
    For Ayoku Somachi, it was wonderful experience that brought her in contact with influencial persons, adding that the trainings helped her refocused on what course to take. She said: “It is something I never imagined and I am really grateful that I was part of the students who were able to get the certificate. I feel blessed to know this great woman and part of this programme. The classes have been really inspiring. I don’t see why I would not do very well when I get out there in the world. In the next few years, I see myself being a very successful business manager because I intend to study business management.”

  • ‘I’m in Nigeria to offer dance to my people’

    ‘I’m in Nigeria to offer dance to my people’

    Nigerian-born American dancer, Titilayo Majoyeogbe, who recently visited Nigeria for the first time speaks on the prospects of dance, plus her experience training youngsters and interacting with folks with Gboyega Alaka.

    Watching Titilayo Majoyeogbe, 24 year-old Nigerian-born American dancer role, jump, twist and turn, as she took her Nigerian students in their final dance session, at the CDW Studio, Eric Moore, Lagos, one question that popped up almost ceaselessly in the mind of this reporter, and perhaps every member of the little audience watching was “What flexibility?’

    Majoyeogbe could practically contort her petit, sharp body into any shape and maneuvre she wishes or which the music of the moment demands. Therefore the first question this reporter popped at her as soon as he had the opportunity was, “Do you have a diet regime?”

    To this, she however laughed and said, “I actually don’t have a diet pattern.” Almost unbelievably, she added that she eats a lot of junk foods, including sweets; but stays away from greasy oily foods like hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chips and the likes. She encourages people to take a lot of water though, like she had seen her students do, with little snacks like sugar, because dancing can be rigorous and requires energy. “I don’t want anyone getting dehydrated or collapsing in the middle of practice,” she quipped.

    Titilayo’s bio-data on hatchfund.org, an online platform where artists post projects for funding read: “I love taking on new challenges and stepping outside of my box….  I have always had a passion working with the youth and getting involved with improving the community.” It was therefore not a surprise to learn from her that UNLEASH, the masterclass dance workshop, organised in collaboration with Ijodee Dance Centre, in which she had been taking the young aspiring dancers three times a week for one month in Lagos, was entirely her initiative and born out of her desire to reach out to her people in Nigeria.

    “For a very long time, I’d been trying very hard to come to Nigeria. I’m born by Nigerian parents; so that kind of automatically glued me to the Nigerian culture; and being a dancer, I just wanted to offer what I do for a living to my mother and fatherland.” She said.

    Luckily, she found Dayo Liadi, aka Ijo-dee online and UNLEASH happened.

    She remarked that it had been an extraordinary experience for her; just seeing how consistently the young people she’d had to train warmed up to her. “I’ve found everybody so welcoming. I’ve also learnt that one can have fun even with strangers. They wanted to learn more about dance abroad, and were also curious about what kind of movements I also wanted to learn.”

    This sharply contrasted with what the New York-based dancer, who had never been to Nigeria had been fed with, preparatory to her trip.  Amidst laughter, she said: “I got a lot of stories like ‘In Nigeria, you have to be careful who you talk to. You don’t just give anyone information about yourself.’ All sorts of voodoo and taboos and superstitions.”

    Deliberately, she said she never allowed information from the grapevine influence her overall attitude in any venture, hence she “came in with an open mind.”

    Nevertheless arriving in Lagos was a huge culture shock for Majoyeogbe, who said both his parents are from Lagos. (She was later to explain though that her dad hailed from Osun State.) “I came into the airport and there was no light. Wow! I was terrified. The environment was also different. A lot of pollution. I also saw a lot of people on the streets selling as many things as they can just to make sure they put food on the plate for their family. It gave the impression that it’s really hard here and the people have to be out there hustling.”

    Asked to comment on the prospects of dance, which in this writer’s opinion seems to be the last genre of art emerging, Majoyeogbe said dance indeed is still at its growing stage even in America and that it is always expanding. “I would say that there are many genres of dance combining together. We have the afro-contemporary, afro-modern, afro-Cuban; so dance is like always collaborating. It’s always multiple and very competitive.”

    When reminded that dance in Nigeria is yet to reach that level, where it can wholly sustain its professionals, Majoyeogbe said, “Even in America, it’s rare to have anybody, who is doing dance and making a living out of it alone. Not even if they have their own company. So mostly, you’d find people who are very big in dance, who have their own companies, who are dance directors, doing Broadway theatre and all of that, who still have other projects on the side. Some teach in the university; some are like I’m going to do residency; I’m going to have a company; I’m going to do community workshops…; we have to do as much as possible to earn a living. Even if you’re teaching dance in the university, you can’t live on that. It’s not enough.”

    Therefore, she agreed that dance is a profession driven more by passion.

    Reliving more memories of the past one month, Majoyeogbe, who is now back in the United States, said she was privileged to have the opportunity of performing twice at Wajo, a massive dance show held every last Thursday of the month at the Freedom Park, Lagos.  But beyond just performing, she gushed “It was just great for me to see culture on display live, as against on the computer or TV. Even in America, there are different dance companies representing West Africa, but to see it on stage live in Nigeria was a completely different ballgame.”

    Asked if she speaks the Yoruba language, which is like her mother-tongue, Majoyeogbe said, “Small small,” aping the Nigerian manner of expression.

    Pressed further to say something in Yoruba, she said ‘Se daadaa lowa? (Meaning ‘Hope you’re doing well?)

    On whether she does not feel deprived that she does not speak her parents mother-tongue, she said: “The thing is, I understand it fluently because my parents communicate with it a great deal. But I cannot speak it.”

    Majoyeogbe, fondly called T or T-square or TMAJ (the last being the name of her dance company) by friends and fans also displayed amazing flexibility and ability to adapt to all kinds of music. A typical example was when a gentleman from the little audience on the final day of the dance training put her on the spot, requesting her to dance to totally unfamiliar tunes. At that point, Dayo Liadi slotted in a CD, which reeled out all sorts of indigenous Nigerian acts from the old to the contemporary, including Musiliu Aruna Ishola, King Sunny Ade and WizKid. But Majoyeogbe adapted well, slowing down when the beats so demanded and waggling her waist when necessary; drawing huge applause from the apprehensive audience that had thought she would flunk it.

    To this she simply said, “I love the challenge. Besides, once you’re a dancer, music is also in your heart. So you’re not just a dancer, but kind of like a musician in a way. Overall, I’d say it’s all about the rhythm; not even the music. So when you hear a rhythm, as a dancer, you just listen for a moment and then you do what your mind tells you.”

    Titilayo Majoyeogbe Started dancing around age eight and nine, but said she had limited access to it in the sense that she lacked financial support to attend workshops and pursue her dreams; until a lifeline came at a free open community dance workshop, where she was spotted by a lady who insisted that she took dance classes literally on her scholarship. ‘From then on, I took the opportunity and ran with it.” she said

    She has also trained William Forsythe Company and the university of Music and Performing Arts in Germany.

  • TIFF: NIGERIA’S TURN, LAGOS’ DANCE

    2015 was particularly a strong year for Africa and Palestine at the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with films from Ethiopia, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and South Africa. A few titles also made their world premieres alongside films that launched their career in the Berlinale, Cannes and Venice. But South Africa hit the spotlight with six films, the most from a single African country that year – Nigeria had none. In fact, I was perhaps the only Nigerian at TIFF last year, save for Jude Idada, a screen writer and Lonzo Nzekwe, film director: two Nigerians based in Toronto.

    Although ‘Best of No Nation’ was the biggest film that defined Africa at the festival that year, it was promoted as an American film.

    This fall, Cameron Bailey, the Artistic Director of TIFF has programmed the selection from Africa and the Middle East. And it`s going to be an exciting year with a special spotlight on Lagos, Nigeria. To this end, eight films have been curated by Bailey. They include ’76’ by Izu Ojukwu; ’93 Days’ by Steve Gukas; ‘Green White Green’ by Abba Makama; ‘Just Not Married’ by Uduak-Obong Patrick; ‘Okafor’s Law’ by Omoni Oboli; ‘Oko Ashewo’ (Taxi Driver) by Daniel Emeke Oriahi and ‘The Wedding Party’ by Kemi Adetiba.

    But Nigeria’s outing is likely going to explode beyond the eight films to also include Kunle Afolayan’s latest flick, The CEO, which will enjoy a special industry screening. This is just as Afolayan will share the stage with sultry actress, Genevieve Nnaji and six other internationally celebrated special guests such as Hiam Abbass, Sônia Braga, Isabelle Huppert, Karan Johar, Mark Wahlberg, and Zhang Ziyi.

    Tagged “In Conversation With…”, this onstage conversation will explore Genevieve Nnaji and Kunle Afolayan’s inspiring stories, illuminating the complex dynamics behind Nollywood’s rise to prominence at home and all over the world. This is just as Lagos-born actor, singer and winner of the 2006 Amstel Malta Box Office reality TV show, OC Ukeje, alongside model and fashion executive, Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama are being identified by the festival as two fast-rising actors from Nigeria who are breaking the barriers of international collaboration.

    It is ironic how South Africa’s participation has dropped this year.

    In 2013, South Africa had six films at TIFF, including Mandela: Long walk to freedom, Khumba, iNumber Number, Of Good Report, Berea and Unogumbe (both short films). It was perhaps the first time that six local films have been selected at TIFF and all of them have not yet been released on cinema except for ‘Of Good Report’, which was on circuit at that time.

    Last year, South Africa rolled out the drums again with five films. The five were Oliver Hermanus’s ‘Endless River’, Charlie Vundla’s ‘Cuckold’, Zamo Mkhwanazi’s ‘The Call’, Jihan El-Tahri’s ‘Nasser’ and Ben Russell’s ‘YOLO’.

    A 20-member South African delegation, led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), was also at TIFF to promote South Africa’s attractiveness as a film destination to filmmakers attending the festival, and to provide exposure to emerging South African filmmakers.

    According to DTI Deputy Minister Mzwandile Masina, the participation of South African filmmakers in TIFF was part of the DTI’s strategy to create access to local film and video products and promote an increase in the volume of film production in South Africa.

    From indications, it is likely going to be a Lagos State show at TIFF, with perhaps little of Federal Government’s involvement going by the lukewarm attitude of the agencies like the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), which could have put the Ministry of Information and Culture in the front seat of this landmark celebration.

     

  • FIRST COMMUNITY SENIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL WINS FDC DANCE COMPETITION

    FIRST Community Senior Grammar School has won the maiden edition of the Forward Dance Championship (FDC) which held at Teslim Balogun Sports Hall, Lagos recently, beating other schools like Onitolo Senior Secondary School, Aguda Senior Grammar School, Surulere Senior Secondary School, Gbaja Boys High School among others.

    Hosted by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and supported by the Ministry of Education, the Forward Dance championship had government secondary schools across Lagos state in participation.

    According to the organiser, Mr. Bimbo Obafunwa, who is also the founder of  The Dance Deal Training Foundation (TDDTF), ‘it is basically to spread the gospel of dance. We’ve realised that dance education can be very helpful to the central development of the average young individual around the world. So in our small circle for the last seven years I have been training professional dancers to embrace the art of dance and take it to a professional level.’

    On why the competition was taken to secondary schools and not universities, Obafunwa said; ‘I am a victim of what you see here today. I studied micro-biology in the university and by the time I got to the end I discovered that it was not something I wanted to do but I have always loved art but I didn’t discover in time that’s why we decided to start the competition at a level where students can begin to make up their minds on what they want to do.’

    The winning school got N300,000 which the organiser will be used to build a standard dance studio in their school that can also be used for all performing arts programmes in the school, while the first and second runners up went away with  N200,000 and N100,000 respectively

    The panel of judges include traditional dance veteran, Sir Victor Ofulu, Latin choreographer, Lilian Yeri, dance director for Project Fame, Loveth Otegbola, and head of spirit of David Segun Lawal.

  • WE ALMOST FORGOT: NIGERIAN PROVOKES THOUGHTS WITH CONTEMPORARY DANCE

    AFTER a successful showcase in Berlin, Germany, the much talked about Nigerian dance show, We Almost Forgot, WAF, returned with a bang, leaving so much to desire by the Lagos and Abuja audiences.

    The Lagos premiere which was part of the Lagos Live Arts Festival at the Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos State, on Friday June 24, gave Qudus Onikeku more than the one thousand people he’d estimated will watch his show.

    Taking a sweeping glance at the audience, you’d see in their countenance, a seriousness with which they watch the 6-cast create a non-verbal dance with so much melee (albeit bloodless) and a craze that typifies today’s society which in his creative philosophy suggests how ‘we almost forgot’ that the world was created with sanity and mankind was meant to co-exist peacefully.

    “The performance aims at exploring memory and amnesia, what has the past got to offer the present beyond history? The idea is to make a fiction of witness accounts, of stories of individuals who have witnessed wars and crises, and to evoke the capacity of our bodies to also keep such memories of trauma,” says Onikeku, artistic director and founder of YK Projects Paris and the QDanceCenter, Lagos.

    Onikeku’s play is reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror: “I’m Starting With The Man In The Mirror; I’m Asking Him To Change His Ways; And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer; If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place; Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change…” says the late pop singer.

    Onikuku himself takes the lead in the one-hour drama, with an actress whose narrative further provoked the thoughts of the audience. WAF is as energetic and soft at the same time, thanks to the dancers whose flexibility speaks of a high degree of rehearsal and mastery of the body language.

    Complex but clear, Onikeku’s play uses high energy movements, singing and intricate music to tell a potpourri of stories of war, crime, starvation, abuse and weirdness where everyone is victim and villain at some point.

    “I want to dance about peace, but since the world denies me of such proximity with beauty from all around me, that out of the sorrows and tears, the discordance and the screams one could extract art works that are essentially both beautiful, meditative and contemplative,” he says, adding that “our world is a world of casualities and like so many survivors, I still jump at the sound of a loud noise, sights and sounds smells-anything can unexpectedly take us to those memorial spaces, where we’d rather not go.”

    The underlining message is that while the unusual has become the norm, we are reminded once in a while, of the law of retributive justice.

    Every step, twist of the waist, of the finger, of the head and eye show how much an actor the cast members are. And because the stage leaves nothing to virtual imagination, the actors excite, even more, with their original stunts, just as the stage transports spectators to the countryside of great hills, mountains, valleys and caverns in a forest of weathering leaves.

    The Lagos leg of the show was followed by another in Abuja on Sunday June 26, hosted by the National Universities Commission, just as he is planning a Paris premiere on November 3.

    The project has received active support from developmental agencies such as Bank of Industry, Goethe Institut, The French Institut and the German Embassy.

    This work, which is Onikeku’s latest creation, pooled its cast from Nigeria, Gabon, Morocco, Algeria, Madagascar and France.

    Onikeku is a graduate of The National Higher School of Circus Arts, France. For close to two decades now, he has constantly pushed the limits of dance beyond the shores of Africa. He is part of the new generation of international creators, whose works are redefining and refining African cultures and philosophy. He is known globally for his solo works, writings and research projects.

    He was awarded “Dancer of the year” by the Future Awards in Nigeria in 2009, while in October 2010, his solo piece titled My Exile is in my head won “the best solo performance” during the Africa-wide dance encounters “Danse l’Afrique danse” in Bamako – Mali, and the 2012 “New choreographic talent” in France. A TED global fellow nominee and a visiting professor to the University of California, Davis, Qudus is a fluid traveller who shares his time between borders, but presently involved in various artistic projects, teachings and collaborations in Lagos, through The QDanceCenter.

  • Osun’s macabre dance

    IN moments of social dilemma when power is thought to be tainted by partisanship, it is often to the temple of the bar that a society looks for clarity and direction. In the hand of the conscientious judge, the spirit of the law in fact comes alive over the iceberg of technicalities. Then, the wise judge will creatively sidestep the usual bogey of precedents with an interpretation that best captures the essence of justice in both letter and spirit, thereby ensuring continued harmony and balance of the society at large. Sadly, the exact opposite of the foregoing is what is presently playing out in Osun State. A strange ruling by a ,judge is stoking sectarian tension and could potentially ignite a conflagration with dire implication for national security and stability. Specifically, the past few days witnessed a theatre of the absurd at the Baptist High School, Iwo, as students of the Christian faith came to school wearing all manner of regalia associated with the church. To the Tesbir their Muslim classmates had brandished, the Christians flaunted rosaries.

    It was all supposed to be their own affirmative action against a judgement entered on June 3 by Justice JideFalola giving students of Muslim faith freedom to wear hijab to schools as “part of their fundamental rights.” In their own reaction, the state branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reckoned it would amount to dignifying the judgementby going to a superior court to challenge 1.

    To them, what makes it even more unbearable is that the very school where hijab is now welcomed was originally built and owned by Baptist missionary.Not to be outdone, they simply resorted to encouraging their wards to, wear any church costume imaginable to the classrooms. Not to take chances, some Christian parents volunteered to accompany their wards to the school to ensure no one molested them over their sartorial preference. One of the CAN leaders, Paul Olagoke, a catechist and head of the Catholic bloc in the Iwo district, put very bluntly: “We’re here to defend our religious right, to ensure that nobody chases away our children for deciding to wear choir robes and other churchrelatedclothes to school.

    “We told the government before the school merger that we did not want Christian schools to be merged with other schools to avoid this kind of situation. We’re determined to make sure that Christianity is not eradicated in the schools established with the sweat of our forefathers in the faith.” As if acting a comedy script, the pupils in the conflicting attires were however said have remained cordial as they exchanged pleasantries. A fact confirmed by the school’s principal, OmotayoArowolo, with a cynical emphasis. To those who might be losing sleep, he quipped: “You can observe by yourself that there is peaceful atmosphere in the school compound and learning is progressing well withoutdisturbance.”

    But the atmosphere of normalcy and tranquility painted by Arowolo is nothing but false. Otherwise, the Osun State Government would not have ordered the school’s closure yesterday. Before the recourse to the self-help by Christian parents, the state director of the Department of State Security (DSS) was said to have hosted CAN leaders with an appeal that they back down for the sake of peace. A plea that apparently fell on deaf ears. For now, no one can tell what happens next. But the truth must be said: the June 3 ruling was most unreasonable. It is most unfortunate that a judge, without regards for the religious sensibilities of other citizens in a supposedly secular state, could take liberty to interpret the constitution in such a reckless manner.

    It is the most insensate thing to do at delicate times like this when the fissures in the nation’s fault-lines appear to be widening by the day. Coming to think of it, it is even incorrect to assume only Christianity and Islam define our religious identity as a nation. Among the citizenry will be foundpractising traditionalists as well, =for instance. Pray, if Muslims and Christian kids were allowed to don the hijab and the white collar respectively in the classrooms, on what moral basis shall we be stopping children of juju worshippers from tying amulet around their wrists if they so wished? Even more dangerous is the exposition of innocent pupils at this tender age to the sectarian politics that has more or less corrupted the larger society.

    Rather than teaching love and the virtue of peaceful co-existence, we are inadvertently infecting the little ones with the virus of hate. What a shame. Already, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has responded in a manner anyone so caught in the middle would have by clarifying that the hijab approval was only a judicial pronouncement and not the policy of his administration. Unfortunately forOgbeni, the negative publicity this sartorial dust has generated at the Iwo school appears to have suddenly overshadowed his inauguration lately of a number of reconstructed public schools elsewhere in the state which ordinarily is praise-worthy. His burden is not lightened by the fact that he is Muslim himself, though generally seen as very accommodating of those who share different faiths. But rather than merely directing school authorities to deal with pupils who come to schools in uniform not approved, Ogbeni can show greater sagacity in the circumstance by directing his Attorney General to take legal steps to set this divisive ruling aside expeditiously, in case no NGO had alreadydone so.

    Beyond that, it would also not be out of place if the National Judicial Council, as the custodian of the juridical tradition, weighs in to spare our society the anarchy likely to germinate from this kind of toxic ruling.