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Ela Mesma Company

A Dance & Circus Theatre Company

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BECAUSE THE EARTH WITHOUT ART IS JUST EH!

We create magic experiences using a diverse range of folkloric dance styles & aerial silks to bring the stories that we would love to have seen growing up to life.

I am Ella, director of Ela Mesma Company. I am inspired to make work that undoes limiting beliefs and celebrates diverse cultural and social identities on this incredible planet.

The company strive to empower and inspire our audiences to come back HOME to themselves (a bit like our company name: Ela/Ele/Elu means she/he/they Mesma means real/really).

I am passionate about our audiences feeling connected and seen through our work and I love to create opportunities to participate and interact.

I refer to the work we make as diaspora dance theatre in recognition of the African roots of all folkloric dance styles, from Hip Hop to Rumba.

I know  that we are also making a new journey (just as these dances did), taking influence from the past and making sense of this in our lives and our art today, and honouring and paying my respects to these styles is really important to me.

I would like to thank The Place (where Me & Akeim Toussaint  are Choreodrome artist 2023) Kala Sangam, Yorkshire Dance, Open Source Arts, Dance City, Pavillion Dance South West, (where I was a 2020 Supported Artist). Thanks also to Open Source Arts, where I am an Associate Artist, The Geraldine Connor Foundation, where I am an Associate and to the Arts Council England for their continued public funding support.

Values and kindness are also at the heart of the company ethos as well as equality, self love & wellbeing and balance.

I am also a coach, mentor and director of Maya Gandaia Ltd: a company with a mission to support creatives to overcome and unlearn the stories and experiences getting in the way of their thriving and growth (Check it out HERE). 

UPCOMING EVENTS

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About Us

“Dance is a song of the body. Either of joy or pain.” Martha Graham

Ela Mesma Company is a British based dance theatre company drawing upon a diverse range of folkloric dance styles to create highly-skilled theatre.

Much of the company’s inspiration is borne out of the Company Director’s diverse training in Afro-Latin, Breaking and Contemporary dance. as well as the diverse skills that each individual company member brings to Ela Mesma Company. 

We strive to create beautiful, inspiring diaspora dance theatre to allow transformation through the honouring of our values and the telling of personal and global stories. This supports us to connect to our truest selves and to create powerful, personal and political work that also is in resonance with Mother Earth works in harmony with the planet. Where possible we try to use recycled materials and minimise our carbon footprint.

We want to tell the stories that we didn’t see growing up, on stage, using the styles we love to dance to, as told by our diverse and brilliant cast.

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” ~ Toni Morrison.

Ela Mesma Company also teaches workshops and works with young people to create dance projects in the community.

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Quotes

An Under Water Love story tackles some big, serious issues, through some amazing choreography and in a way that I think will be accessible to lots of audiences. I think it’s probably going to leave people who see it with plenty to think about but having had a really entertaining night out. I’m delighted Kala Sangam has supported its creation
Alex CroftCreative Director – Kala Sangam
The dance is immense. So brilliant to see new movement vocabulary. You are generating a truly unique movement style which seems to come from everywhere; African, Spanish, Latin, hip hop, contemporary all entwined together. I was intrigued to see your work and this did not disappoint. The dancers and choreography are amazing. I got a little excited tingle watching the dance, you have got something good cooking with this production!
Selina McgonagleGeraldine Connor Foundation
The underwater world was a really powerful analogy of her ideas: they were coming through really strongly
Dawn Holgate
A really intricate mesmerising piece… I found it very empowering
LeannaAudience, Leeds
When you see people respond to a dance piece who may not normally come in such a passionate way then you know you’re on a winner
Joe Williams
I think she is one of the most intuitive artists I have ever met, an artist who really uses dreaming as a tool
David EvansArtist in the piece
Ella has a gift and she needs to share it
Benedicta ValentinaArtist in the piece
I thought the dancers were absolutely mesmerising
JenAudience, Leeds
I am a frequent theatre go-er, but seeing Ella Mesma Foreign Bodies – An Underwater Love Story was thrilling and thought provoking, elevating my consciousness – I am still getting goose bumps
Beverley Thomas
Artistically, scientifically and culturally significant… a powerful and dramatic work of richly layered relevancies
Katy NoakesOneDance UK
Ella has situated (Foreign Bodies) at a fertile intersection of styles and approaches to dance.
Dan CanhamArtistic Director, Stillhouse
I was absolutely mesmerised
Heidi SamsonYouth Worker, Creative Youth Network
A human dive in to a multi-sensory experience of dual parallels & contradictions. An important story that places the audience in the shoes of the protagonist
Elsabet Yonas
Strong idea and led by an amazing internationally known choreographer/dancer Ella Mesma with a fierce team. Can’t wait to see where this goes
Natalie Teitler
You have some wonderful dancers and it was a beautiful piece, while uncomfortable at times. The big jumps in unison gave me a huge surge of optimism
Anna Demming
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Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

ELA MESMA COMPANY

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Ela Mesma Company

We create magic experiences using a diverse range of folkloric dance styles & aerial silks to bring the stories that we would love to have seen growing up to life

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