Qudus Onikeiku Re:Incarnation at The Lowry
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Nigeria’s ground-breaking QDance Company explode onto The Lowry‘s stage this October with their exhilarating new show, Re:Incarnation.
Created by Lagos-born dancer and choreographer, Qudus Onikeku, Re:Incarnation is inspired by the Nigerian city and its communities, its past and its present.
Fusing dance, music, fashion and visual art, Re:Incarnation is a tribute to the riches of Nigerian culture. Bursting with pure and uncompromising joy, this dynamic show mixes ancient Yoruba philosophy with the rhythm and spirit of the country’s hyper-vibrant youth culture.
This dazzling show is the result of six years of continuous movement research around body memory with young dancers in Nigeria. Most interestingly, Nigeria has the largest youth population in the world – with around 70% of the population under 30 and approximately 42% under the age of 15.
Paying homage to the rich and eclectic nature of Nigerian music, the show draws on Afrobeats, blended from a euphoric cocktail of jazz, soul, funk, and traditional African music. Exuberant, energetic and athletic, this hypnotic mix of urban music and culture is further layered by the personal journeys of each of the young dancers.
10 dancers and two live musicians – on drums and electric guitar – perform with intoxicating energy. With vibrant clothes, body paint, masks and props, the performers swirl in a kaleidoscopic array of colour.
Of the show, Qudus Onikeku told us, “I am excited to introduce the QDance Company to audiences across the UK. The key thing for me is to show what dance can be in contemporary Africa, it feels like we are starting something. This is Afrodance, young Africans talking. Re:Incarnation is about bringing Lagos on stage in a way that’s never been seen before – its groove, its history and what the city means to so many people.”
Recommended for ages 12+ and running at 90 minutes, Re:Incarnation is set to get you moving to the rhythms of the African world.
