Dance: A message from Mother Earth

Dickson Mbi Company
Tellus
by Dickson Mbi & Nick Drake
composer-choreographer Dickson Mbi
performers Hannah Joseph, Harvey Burke-Hamilton, Kenny Wing Tao Ho, Rose Sall Sao, Monique Jonas, Jonadette Carpio, Nathan Goodman, Siyu Lu, Moses Ward, Fukiko Takase, Robert Dunkley-Gyimah
musicians Lara Aisha Ali, Meera Priyanka Raja, Toril Azzalini-Machecler
costumes Debbie Duru • set Ruby Law
lighting Lee Curran • sound Tony Gayle
video art Yeast Culture
Sadler's Wells East, Stratford • 21-24.Oct.26 ★★★★

With his distinctive visceral choreography and music, Dickson Mbi continues to explore his Cameroonian heritage with this strikingly epic folk tale drawn from the myth of Mami Wata, the source of life and love, and also destruction. Its lavish visuals and thumping rhythms speak directly to our bodies, pulling us into the emotions of the piece. And cleverly integrated video projection gives the show a powerfully effective kick.

The narrative follows a young man (Harvey Burke-Hamilton) through an odyssey into the predicament of his parched village, which is dying off due to drought. He is taken through the veil between the living and the dead by Mother Earth (Hannah Joseph), who guides him on a journey to heal the land. The energy grows beautifully over the course of the show, as three on-stage musicians appear in the background playing flute, cello and percussion in an increasingly insistent style that matches the dancers' impressive physicality.

Full-bodied movement intensifies from the austere opening section through a series of transitions that are marked by shifts in lighting and the skilful use of a string curtain at the back of the stage. This creates several breathtaking moments, combining with the expressive mix of modern and classical dance, eclectic-earthy music and a soundscape that features whispering and breathing. And when performers begin to interact with images projected onto both the curtain and a scrim, the effect becomes dazzling.

Through all of this, Mbi's inventive choreography challenges the dancers to use physical strength and endurance, evoking a wide range of emotions. There's a particularly lovely section in which four pairs move around the stage with the women leading and lifting the men. Other moments feature crawling, swaying and energetic bouncing, with arms and hands extended into the air. It's a punchy piece that culminates in a vivid catharsis, celebrating the fact that the earth will heal itself whether or not we do our part.

For details, SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by RULA • 21.Oct.26

Dance: Body consciousness

Enowate
director-choreographer-performer Dickson Mbi
composer Roger Goula
lighting Lee Curran
costumes Daniel Lismore
animation Nick Hillel & Adam Smith
voices Patrice Naiambana, Michael Ajao, Sapphire Jo
Sadler's Wells, London • 14-15.Oct.22

Inspired by a journey to his ancestral home in Cameroon, Dickson Mbi explores his multiple identities in a show that begins with some comical miming before turning moody and menacing, with animalistic imagery and aggressive movement. It's an intriguing trip from London's East End to the dark heart of Africa, accompanied by a wide range of music and imagery. 

With a title that means "truth stands" it's clear that Mbi has big ambitions for this show, and there are some indulgent touches along the way. But it's also remarkably visceral, capturing the audience on an almost subliminal level. As it opens, Mbi is lying in stripes of light on a blank stage, struggling to get his body moving, seemingly attached to the floor. Eventually it's just one hand that's not responding, resulting in some witty interaction with the audience, accompanied by the sounds of kids at play.

Then there's a blackout and things change dramatically. Emerging from a pinpoint of light is that renegade hand, and then Mbi's upper torso, bent forward head down, creating a shape that looks otherworldly, like an alien being or mythical sea creature. As spotlights flicker on and off, he appears all around the stage, as if this is an invading army, before taking a central position for some full-bodied movement and a finale that makes spectacular use of music and projected animation.

Through all of this, there are echoes of iconic artistic imagery, and the musical styles also shift through genres to both set the scene and alter the tone. The production is skilfully assembled, but it's Mbi's astonishing physicality that makes the show hypnotic, mixing his experience as a hip-hop performer with strength-based contemporary dance. It's both aggressive and softly moving. And while the meaning remains elusive, the feelings are intense.

photos by Nick Thornton Jones, Warren DuPreez
and Foteini Christofilopoulou • 14.Oct.22