We were happy to be invited to perform in the company of our artistic director Elisabeth Efua Sutherland at the 7th edition of the Nikaala Festival of Contemporary Dance in Togo.
From L-R: Addis Ababa, Aguy Sibailly, James Brown, Nela Elle, Ewurama, Elisabeth Efua Sutherland
Ms. Sutherland was accompanied in her collaborative performance 'turo: meditations in the garden of the soul' by five dancers resident at Terra Alta Foundation, namely Addis Ababa, Nela Elle, Aguy Sibailly, Ewurama, and James Brown. The performance was received well, and we were grateful for the opportunity to start to build more African bridges between Francophone and Anglophone nations.
This was an important trip to mark 7 years of this contemporary dance festival established by accomplished dancer and choreographer Germaine Sikota in the capital of Togo, Lome.
The dancers had an amazing experience, and we were able to exchange with artists from different countries, including Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Switzerland.
We also had an important discussion between Germaine Sikota and Elisabeth Efua Sutherland on the challenges they faced being women trying to create platforms for contemporary performance on the continent, including funding, problems of training, consistency and discipline from artists, issues of space, infrastructure. Most importantly, both women underscored the importance of working together as Africans to advance our art and our communal future.
We look forward to more opportunities to exchange on the continent! Let's dance!
All photos courtesy Festival Nikaala.
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