Enowate
2023 Oliver Award
for Outstanding Achievement in Dance
A dancer of extraordinary power and grace, Dickson Mbi summons multiple identities in this mesmerising solo performance inspired by a life-changing journey to his ancestral home in Cameroon.
The symbolic presence of a two-headed snake, the tiger whose roar vibrated as part of a funeral ritual, the knowing touch of a blind elder … it was these unnerving encounters that profoundly affected the London choreographer during a recent trip to his family’s village. They have all brought him closer to the animistic practices of his African heritage and to the mystical place where they meet with his modern East End upbringing.
Enowate, meaning ‘truth stands’, draws on sinuous elements of hip-hop and contemporary dance in combination with original music and otherworldly animated projections. In asking the relatable question, ‘who am I?’, he connects with enigmatic forces to reveal himself and emerge from the shadows.
“A powerful, mesmerising, haunting, disturbing piece of work.”
The Wonderful World of Dance Magazine
Co-commissioned by: Sadler’s Wells, The Barbican, Dance East and The Lowry.
Supported by: Arts Council England, Complicité, Daniel Bailey and The Bush Theatre
Creative Team
Choreographer and Performer: Dickson Mbi
Artistic Consultant and Producer: Farooq Chaudhry
Mentor: Simon McBurney
Lighting Designer: Lee Curran
Composer: Roger Goula
Movement Assistant: Kenny Wing Tao Ho
Animation: Nick Hillel and Adam Smith (Yeast Culture)
Visual Artists: Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones
Costume Design: Daniel Lismor
Vocals: Ntunja (Universal Records)
Voices: Patrice Naiambana, Michael Ajao, Sapphire Joy
Touring Production Manager/Re-lighter: Fabian Bleisch
Touring Sound Engineer: Fred Defay