Qudus Onikeku is
made of diversity; a well-known fixture on the dance and choreography
landscape at home and on the international stage, he has in the past
years given a facelift to the appreciation of dance in Nigeria. His
dance style is best described as weaved multiplication of techniques and
influences that wind together like a ceremonial aso-oke.
Given such eclecticism, its then not suspiring that the QDance Center, in collaboration with like minds from across Nigeria and
abroad will be taking over Broad Street on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of February with an alternative festival titled Dance Gathering,
an objective to initiate a space of anti-disciplinary practice in
Lagos, where creatives gather to work on ideas that don’t necessarily
fit into one discipline.
Date: Saturday & Sunday, February 24th & 25th, 2017
Time: 4.00 pm – 11.00 pm
Venue: Broad Street, Lagos.
This innovative festival debuted last
year to rave reviews from critics, participants, and a resounding “we
want more” from the attendees. This year’s edition, themed Body and
Memory, is a curatorial direction which focuses on diverse forms of
creative endeavours, that variedly explores the body as a storehouse of
memories and inherited traumas. “…as the living pass through the tunnel of history, the body becomes the prized possession, a battlefield and a space of freedom”
-Qudus Onikeku. Memory as an element of healing and reconstruction goes
beyond set limitations thus communicating in nonverbal, expressive
forms.
Dance Gathering is a two weeks
cortege bringing together participants and stakeholders from the
international creative eco-system. A central-hub to witness the magic
that becomes when creative innovators, thinkers and practical problem
solvers, gather in one space, in a city like Lagos. The Dance Gathering
platform is, therefore, a rich embroidery of disciplines ranging from
Choreographers, Musicians, Actors, Poets to DJs, Visual Artistes, Video
Artistes, Martial Artistes, Designers, Architects, Writers, Historians,
and Philosophers, all of whom are radically shifting the boundaries of
knowledge in their respective disciplines.
Dance Gathering is a two weeks
cortege bringing together participants and stakeholders from the
international creative eco-system. A central-hub to witness the magic
that becomes when creative innovators, thinkers and practical problem
solvers, gather in one space, in a city like Lagos. The DANCE GATHERING
platform is therefore a rich embroidery of disciplines ranging from
Choreographers, Musicians, Actors, Poets to DJs, Visual Artistes, Video
artistes, Martial Artistes, Designers, Architects, Writers, Historians,
and Philosophers, all of whom are radically shifting the boundaries of
knowledge in their respective disciplines.
The Dance Gathering calendar will end
with a combustible, spectacle of engaging, compelling and captivating
performance festival in the centre of Lagos’ financial and business
district – Broad Street. Excitement for this FREE theatrical weekend is
gearing up amongst art lovers, voyeurs, enthusiasts, fun-lovers
especially as its also a fun weekend outing for the whole family.
Dance Gathering 2018 is curated by Qudus Onikeku & Onye Ozuzu (The dean of Fine and Performing Arts, Columbia college. Chicago). The whole process begins from the 12th February to 25th of February, with an official opening cocktail event at Freedom Park on 22nd of February.
Entry: FREE
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