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In his latest work "Oju" (The Eye), Nigerian choreographer
and dancer Abubakar Usman describes the spiritual path taken to
transpose old traditions into modern life in a country gripped by
political upheaval. On a journey down a road paved with brutality,
hatred and torture, the four young dancers draw on traditional knowledge
about the spirits as the key to establishing new human values
When asked to comment on the second piece of the evening,
the European premiere of "Night" (for three dancers),
Abubakar Usman said: "The way we move forward during
the day, we're glad when it's night, a time we imagine as
being a quiet period. A lot happens every day - and everything
at the same time. But most of us never notice what is happening
during the night's global rapid eye movement phase.
But in my view we can talk about it, think about it and show
it in order to change it."
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Oju - The Eye & The Night
Choreography: Abubakar Usman
Dancers: Abubakar Usman, Esther-Abimbola Usman, Iwar Benjamin
Ben, Okon Akam
Abubakar Usman, born in 1970 in Kano/Northern Nigeria,
is regarded as one of Africa's best dancers. His choreographic
works have created a new, acrobatic and impressive language
of movement. Abubakar Usman was with the National Troupe of Nigeria for 14 years and has since worked together with
Claude Brumachon in "Les Larmes des Dieux" in the
Theatre d'Avignon, with Susanne Linke in "Le coq est
mort" in Berlin's Hebbel Theater and with Koffi Kôkô
in "Les feuilles qui resistent au vent" at last
year's In Transit 03 at the House of World Cultures. He gave
his debut as a choreographer in 2000 at the "Dance meets
Dance" festival in Nigeria, and since then has created
seven choreographies.
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