Mufutau Yusuf's New Work IMPASSE Premieres in Sadler's Wells Lilian Baylis Studio in London This Autumn
Performances are Thursday 14 & Friday 15 November 2024.
Choreographer and dancer Mufutau Yusuf makes his London premiere in Sadler's Wells Lilian Baylis Studio with his new work Impasse on Thursday 14 & Friday 15 November 2024. The piece premiered at Dublin Dance Festival 2024 and goes to Dance Base from 13 – 25 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Yusuf's work is a physical exploration of the Black body in a contemporary western society, where he questions what it means to be a diasporic entity and the critical role of memory in forging his identity. By challenging racialised depiction of Black bodies, vulnerable to cultural imperialism, stereotyping or appropriation, the performance unveils its power, sensuality, tenderness, intelligence and love – to reclaim and celebrate its humanity and autonomy.
On stage, two performers - Lucas Katangila and Mufutau Yusuf himself – with their bodies, confront the biased narratives etched onto Black bodies throughout history, on a stripped-back, white set. The sound design by Tom Lane includes tearing noises and a Bach-inspired composition.
Mufutau Yusuf is a Nigeria-born Irish choreographer, performer, teacher, and curator based between Ireland and Brussels. He trained at Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance and has danced with Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez in Belgium and in Ireland with Liz Roche Company, John Scott's Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Emma Martin/United Fall, Catherine Young Dance, to name a few. He is currently a choreographer in residence with Luail, Ireland's National Dance Company.
Mufutau Yusuf said: “Stemming from my interest in ideas surrounding racial and political identity, particularly the politics and experiences of the Black body and all its implications and realities, I wanted to further understand what my relationship is with my Black body, and its experiences in a contemporary western society. This brought forward questions regarding the notion of representation, misrepresentation, and lack thereof, all of which I'm exploring in Impasse.”
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