Pan-African dance event ‘We Almost Forgot’ comes to Nigeria

Organised by world-renowned Nigerian dancer and choreographer Qudus Onikeku of YK Projects, the show premieres in Berlin, Germany on Friday 17 June and runs until 20 June. Thereafter it moves to Lagos on Friday 24 June. It will then be the turn of the country’s capital, Abuja, to witness We Almost Forgot on Sunday 26 June.

The Lagos event will be held at Freedom Park as part of the Lagos Live Festival, while the Abuja performance will take place at the prestigious National Universities Commission and be followed by a discussion. France then hosts the final performances of the show in Lyon on 23 August and Paris on 3 November.

According to an official statement released by YK Projects, "More than just viewing the performance, the audience will have the opportunity to interact with the artists and express their thoughts on contemporary dance and its progression in Nigeria and the world over."

The show features six dancers and one actress from different countries: Nigeria, Gabon, Morocco, Algeria, Madagascar and France. Using music, dance and storytelling, the performance will explore the connections between trauma, memory and amnesia. The display examines the capacity of the human body in keeping memories of trauma.

Born and raised in Lagos, Onikeku is a graduate of the National Higher School of Circus Arts in France. He has been involved in Africa’s dance scene for more than a decade. Among his work is a collaboration with the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON) to produce an African ballet. Named Dancer of the Year at the Future Awards in Nigeria in 2009, in October 2010 his solo piece My Exile is in my Head was named Best Solo Performance atthe Africa-wide dance event Danse l’Afrique danse in Bamako, Mali. In 2012 Onikeku won an award for new choreographic talent in France.

We Almost Forgot is supported by the Goethe-Institut, Bank of Industry, The French Institut and the German Embassy. To book your ticket or for more information, email [email protected] or call +(234)8120235336.