Leading Diaspora Dance Theatre in the UK
“I feel it is important and powerful work to continue to see women breaking down stereotypes. I also think it is important to provide platforms for women to feel safe and united and able to speak up.” Ella Mesma
*Our work celebrates the diverse experiences of women—both cis and trans—as well as non-binary people, recognizing the fluidity of gender and the unique journeys of each artist involved. We honour all identities and acknowledge that some of these artists may now identify as non-binary, reflecting the evolving nature of personal expression and gender identity.
In 2020, Ella Mesma Company invited 33 artists to participate in I Am All Woman, a lockdown art piece that celebrates and explored gendered experiences to the voice of Bridget Gray. Filmed from our homes across the globe (UK, USA, Portugal, Cyprus, Brazil), each section was choreographed by the individual dancer in response to the lyrics and video of the previous artist. The aim was to honour us in our entirety and inspire more of us to embrace every aspect of ourselves and our expression.
For this iteration of Dance Transports, Ella Mesma interviewed five incredible international hip hop artists, capturing their intimate reflections on the issues raised in the original lockdown piece.
You can watch the videos in the links below and click here to download the transcribed interviews and learn more about the five artists on Yorkshire Dance’s website.
On August 11th (a date chosen to honour the birth of hip hop, when DJ Kool Herc held the “Back to School Jam” in 1973), we hosted a Zoom conversation. Eleven local and international artists joined us to respond to the interviews and the I Am All Woman video, sharing their thoughts on being artists in hip hop and discussing how we can create a better future.
We create magic experiences using a diverse range of folkloric styles & aerial silks to bring the stories that we would love to have seen growing up to life
