Kunja Dance Theatre
URBANITE AND KIZAZI
BY JAMES MWEU (NAIROBI, KENYA)
JULY 24 and 25
Hamburger Sprechwerk, 8 pm
(ca. 60 minutes) • Public discussion with the artist(s) after performances.
URBANITE
is centered on the many moods of an urbanite, a person that moves from rural to the urban areas for better living with so much expectation and they go through betrayal, defeats and to triumph all odds.
Artistic direction: James Mweu
Choreography: James Mweu, Vincent Ochieng Owich
Dancers: James Mweu, Vincent Ochieng Owich
Music: Salala, amapondo
KIZAZI
is a dialogue and play between two generations, one watching over the others shoulders. Learning from each other and traveling the journey of discovery. Where the young calls the elder to attention …going through the dynamism in culture as traditions change from generation to generation with bits and pieces being passed over and borrowed
Artistic direction and choreography: James Mweu
Dancers: James Mweu, Kepha Oiro
Music: Miles Davis, Femi Kuti, Yunia Amunga
James Mweu
born in Nairobi, James was initially trained as a sculptor. He is a choreographer, dancer and artistic director of Kunja Dance Theatre. His move to contemporary dance came naturally. James has toured and worked with the dance Company Gaara, and continues to work for different community based projects, using dance and other art forms as a tool for rehabilitation. Since the formation of Kunja Dance Theatre together with Michael Ogambi in 2004, James continues to investigate the many possibilities and disciplines within the domains of art, i.e. collaborations with visual arts and also with social work. Accordingly Kunja Dance Theatre’s main objective is the development of dance and theatre through research, discovery and the nurture of new talents. Kunja Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company based in Nairobi, which uses modern, traditional, and popular dance styles, as well as everyday movements to create performances that tackle a variety of themes inspired by everyday occurrences. The company has presented a number of its creations at dance platforms in and outside of the city. Kunja Dance Theatre conducts community outreach programs, collaborates with artists from other disciplines and works towards the provision of dance platforms, workshops and networks within in the region and at community level. In pursuance of its objectives, Kunja Dance theatre has forged alliances with various community based organizations and groups, notably the Kuruka Maisha Arts School whose beneficiaries come from the slums and streets of Nairobi and whose pupils have developed into respectable theatre performers of high standards.
DanceKiosk Hamburg 2009 is funded by the Kulturbehörde der freien und Hansestadt Hamburg, the Hamburgische Kulturstiftung, das NATIONALE PERFORMANCE NETZ aus Mitteln des Tanzplans Deutschland der Kulturstiftung des Bundes and Goethe Institut. Supported by: Kampnagel Hamburg, Theater Sprechwerk and K3 – Zentrum für Choreographie / Tanzplan Hamburg.