Sakoba Dance Theatre closed their autumn tour with a standing ovation at The Place on Saturday (01/12/07).
Award-winning choreographer Bode Lawal’s company and students from Sakoba’s educational workshops presented a programme that was committed, well-honed and fun.
Lawal is one of the UK’s leading exponents of African dance and has pioneered his own technique based on traditional ritualistic movements that originated in Nigeria’s Yoruba culture.
Sakoba has a sister company based in Los Angeles that attracts the support of Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone and the Oprah Winfrey Foundation.
The programme kicked off with a pre-curtain talk by graduate trainee dancer Ria Uttridge, who explained the ethos of the company and its attempt to cross cultures, tradition and time:
“We are here to represent African dance – but also to bring it into today.”
To this end the company revisited their piece Aiduronijo (Clockwork), which explores “different components of time through intricate interaction and precise movements”.
Set simply between four white classical columns, the choreography referenced the origins of Yoruba culture, which is based on worship of the Goddess of the Earth and the central beliefs of elevation and separation.
Lawal uses movements and gestures inspired by the foundation of Sango (god of thunder) and Oshun (goddess of river).
In his technique, an evocation of the spirit is fundamental. The precision of movement and gesture emphasises the connection between spiritualism and physicality.
The basic condition of human existence is explored, with each movement driven by the one beat all human beings have in common regardless of race, religion or culture – that of the heart.
In Lawal’s work, music and sound excite the human spirit – movement harnesses it precisely.
And in Aiduronijo (Clockwork), man (and woman) performs many functions: timekeeper, archer, lover; is a simple conduit of joy and life – or a strutting, sensual, preening bird of paradise.
The physical diversity of the company adds texture to the precise, ancestral movements and gestures Lawal employs in his technique.
The pre-curtain warning that elements of modern pop culture would have their origins exposed also proves true – it soon becomes obvious where Elvis’ pelvis and Beyoncé’s booty shake first evolved.
In the second and most moving piece of the evening – Ogo (Glory) – Lawal celebrates his own spirituality.
Performed to Smokie Norful’s God is Able, man and woman partner each other in the agony of life and ecstasy of belief, with an urgency and fluidity of movement that drives the narrative.
Simple and powerful in thought and execution, the piece is as compellingly beautiful as an affirmation of faith as it is a piece of dance theatre.
The second new work of the evening – Okan’ Nijo (One) – is a cross-cultural journey commissioned by Stockton on Tees’ arts venue ARC.
Set against a backdrop of hanging vines, the parakeet-coloured costumes of Aiduronijo (Clockwork) are replaced with earth-hued body suits, as the company trails dance influences across Brazil, India and China to explore their “commonalities”.
Drummers Henri Gaobi, Gerald N’Guijoel and Peter Phillips create rich patterns of sound and cultural reference – and the piece develops not only as a journey across continents and time, but a celebration of the strength and purpose of the human torso.
Brazilian born Jackson Pinto – trained in Oritsa dance styles and lately of The Lion King in London’s West End – gives a virtuoso performance. His lightning acrobatics across the stage – and sheer exuberance – become the tour de force of the evening.
But consistently strong, elegant and committed performances from Kristin Kelly, Bonita Macrae, Rebecca Wong Mei Yuk, Joao Ferreira and Ria Uttridge are also worthy of the ovation.
Lawal says his purpose is to “nurture and guide” future generations of African dance students – and anyone interested in “understanding the essence of African dance tradition within the context of the African Diasporas”.
His technique makes the genre exciting and accessible – respecting and illuminating its conventions and placing it right at the heart of modern dance technique.
More information about Sakoba and their work is available at sakobadancetheatre.com.
To find out more about The Place see theplace.org.uk.
