Dancing “In the Chest of a Woman”
The intensity in their faces was evident as more than 80 dancers auditioned at the National Theatre last Saturday, June 21, for slots in an upcoming dance production based on In The Chest of a Woman, a play by the late Ghanaian writer and dramatist, Efo Kodjo Mawugbe.
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Taken through their paces by France-based Ivorian choreographer, Joseph Aka and urged on by a trio of percussionists, the dancers moved to a prescribed pattern and also did some freestyle stuff to showcase their individual sense of creativity.
Twenty dancers out of the lot that auditioned last Saturday will be selected to participate in a six-day workshop in Accra.
Four out of the 20 will be chosen to participate in a week’s master class in Abidjan next month in preparation towards a dance project to be premiered in Accra next March.
The production is between Ghana, France and Cote d’Ivoire and is bringing together the National Theatre of Ghana, Institut Francais du Ghana and theatres in France for the first time to create something new, vibrant and engaging from In The Chest of a Woman.
“My work is lyrical and contemporary. I take my tradition and move it to another level. I see a similar thing in the work of Efo Mawugbe.
“He was aware of Ghanaian culture and he took traditional elements from there towards something contemporary, universal and lyrical. So it is easy for me to work within that realm,” said choreographer, Joseph Aka.
Mrs Amy Frimpong, Acting Executive Director at the National Theatre of Ghana was present at the auditioning. She said she was impressed with the turnout and enthusiasm of the dancers and wished them well.
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The dance project is one of three items related to Efo Mawugbe being pursued with the involvement of the National Theatre and Institut Francais at the moment.
A play, tentatively titled Black Box, derived from the 20 other plays Efo wrote but which were not published before his death in September 2011, will be produced after the premiere of the dance project at the National Theatre.
An Efo Mawugbe Foundation has also been created and will be officially launched by April next year.