Moderated by Donatella Bertozzi, journalist at Il Messaggero.
"If contemporary African dance is in such a state of flux, it is because the construction of new identities is at stake. But isn’t the ultimate purpose of art to allow each person to redefine themselves by approaching their innermost essence?"
Ayoko Mensah
The intimate essence of contemporary African dance and many other aspects of this vast continent's culture is tied to the theme of travel.
Following the early journeys to Europe by choreographers and dancers such as Germane Acogny, Koffo Koko, and Alphonse Tiérou, today’s journeys are characterized by a new generation of dancers. Their challenge is no longer to assert their identity in Europe but to create a contemporary artistic identity in Africa.
The landscape presented to these young artists and anyone following the rapid evolution of contemporary African dance reveals a world in constant change, difficult to reduce to a comforting exotic perspective that contrasts traditional Africa with modernity. This is because the gaze is no longer from Europe to Africa, but from Africa to itself.
Ayoko Mensah delves into this complex network of exchanges, posing intriguing questions about the role Europe currently plays in the artistic, cultural, and economic development of Africa, as well as the influence exerted by African artists and intellectuals on the international stage.
