About Ella
“Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” Bertolt Brecht
It’s great to meet you here!
My name is Ella and my pronouns are she/her or they/them.
I created Ella Mesma Company to produce work by the superheroes that I wanted to see on stage.
I love to work with the dances of the Orishas (which I have been studying for the past 20 years) and contemporary and Hip-Hop styles to create collaborative theatre with my company
“Dancers are the athletes of God.” Albert Einstein
I am super inspired by dance as a healing ritual and a gateway to transformation and positive change!
Can art be activism?
Can we use it, like a hammer, to shape the world we want to see?
BECAUSE THE EARTH WITHOUT ART IS JUST EH!
I have a holistic approach to creativity, creating and crafting from a space that is connected to self. A space that is full of bravery, enquiry and purpose.
As I came to dance later in life, having not had access to it previously, it is important to me to reach those who don’t necessarily have a background in theatre.
As a person of multiple heritage (I am mixed Black Nigerian & white British), I also strive for my cast and the stories we tell, to be told by super-hero(ine) voices who are often under-represented onstage.
I also love to connect with my audience through discussion and play (though making sure the audience never feel pressured to join in!)