advertisement

[email protected] London, UK

ANNOUNCE THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR FRIENDS

Forwarded by: SEGUN FAJEMISIN

PETER BADEJO: LORD OF THE DANCE

rofile of Peter Adegboyega Badejo, OBE, NAMA, 'Sanctuary Artist of the Year' (University of Limerick), Lord of the Dance (Focus magazine), choreographer, director, actor, musician and the artistic director of Badejo Arts, a contemporary African Dance Company based in the United Kingdom.

On the set of Elemental Passions (photocredits, Adedolapo Sholu)

Peter Badejo, Nigerian-born artiste is founder and artistic director of the London-based contemporary African dance company. Badejo, fondly called 'Uncle Peter' by friends and admirers is a recipient of several honours for his contribution to arts in general and specifically for his relentless efforts in the spread and understanding of African artistic expression in contemporary Britain.

He has been awarded an OBE by her Majesty the Queen of England in her birthday honours' list for services to dance in England.

A cultural ambassador for African arts in general, and Yoruba Diaspora in particular, he has also come to be seen as a catalyst for the development of contemporary African dance in Britain.

After a long and distinguished career in Nigeria and the United States as a performer, director, teacher and academic, Badejo moved to Britain in 1990. Since then, Badejo Arts has been at the leading edge of contemporary African performance culture, transmitting and transforming African dance traditions (particularly the Yoruba Bata dance form) in a way that engages with contemporary experience.

The company is committed to the creative development and promotion of African performance culture through educational workshops, residencies in schools and colleges, lectures, intensive training for dance professionals and large scale productions. To date, Badejo Arts have produced and toured more than six nationally acclaimed productions.

advertisement

First and foremost a choreographer and dancer, Peter Badejo is also a storyteller, a master musician and singer, and an accomplished director and actor. He has performed, choreographed, directed and taught in Bulgaria, India, South Africa, Cuba and the United States amongst others. He is not only a practitioner of the arts, but has also conducted valuable researches into the development and influence of African performing arts in the society.

He is as well a teacher of African performing arts, catering for everyone from professional dancers and theatre practitioners to primary school children.

Among his recent works is the research, codification and the development of the first dance technique for African dance. Based on Bata dance expressions of the Yoruba culture, Bata, a dance related to the Yoruba deity of thunder and lightning is chosen as model for the exploration. The achievement of this work is expected to bring African dance the glory it deserves in the contemporary art world.

The Irish World Centre of the University of Limerick, Ireland in 2003 named Peter Badejo the Sanctuary Project's first Artist-in-Residence. This is in recognition of his contribution to the Irish World Music Centre's education work with refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland.

Peter Badejo portrait by Eric Richmond, Marylebone Dance Studio

Badejo's classic production, "Elemental Passions", premiered on 26th April 2003 in Ipswich (UK) and toured nationally in May and June of the same year. "Elemental Passions" based on the myth of Sango, the revered god of lightning and thunder, received critical reviews worldwide one of which was also featured on this website (Power counterbalanced by glory, and the Sango myth lingers).

He choreographed the dance in Langbodo, Nigeria's drama entry in the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77). The epic play written by one of Nigeria's theatre greats, the late Wale Ogunyemi was directed by Professor Dapo Adelugba.

In 2003, he was the Head Choreographer and Artistic Director for the 2000-strong ensemble that featured in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 8th All African Games hosted by Nigeria and organised by The 8th All Africa Games Committee called Comite d'Organisation des Jeux Africains (COJA).

Badejo hopes that his artistic contribution brings a wider understanding and recognition of the different strands of contemporary cultural expressions that are emerging as a result of the African diasporic influences, particularly within dance.