Developed as a commission of MIDEQ for the launch of its 5 year South-South migration inequality and development programme this dance piece with the Noyam Institute for African Dance focuses on the concept and impacts of migration on different populations allowing for a focus on the emotions and effects of migration.
The dance company took the themes of migration and rendered them using their own ritual and dance practices, costuming and textile forms and music, especially drumming. The piece was performed as a premier in the University of Ghana’s International House, providing the first use of dance as an academic genre within migration studies and in the Centre for Migration Studies. It thereby allowed for the genre-crossing within academic and artistic disciplines and the intercultural translation of work conceived and written from funders in the Global North, by rural youth populations in one of our corridor countries, Ghana, providing a template for such work across all the countries involved in the MIDEQ.
The film of the dance production was produced and directed by Dr Gameli Tordzro. The title music was also composed and recorded by Dr Tordzro. The artistic director of the dance piece was Nii Tete Yartey. Costumes and set textile drapes were designed and produced by Naa Densua Tordzro. Alison Phipps served as Executive Producer.
Most importantly, it was directed and choreographed by 2 youth leaders in the dance company, Ruth Swanson and Stephen Kofi Agyekum and was their premiere production of this scale.