Grin (45mins)
Reflective dance sculptures, inspired by various carnival percussion traditions, blur the boundaries between the dancers and their environment, creating a powerful sense of transformation.
Inspired by Maya Angelou’s adaptation of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1896 poem “We Wear the Mask”, Grin explores the complexities of Black identity through the act of masking. The work expresses the dual experience of hiding and revealing one’s true self. Angelou’s message—that “we wear masks that grin and lies” to protect ourselves and navigate the world—highlights the cost of this concealment. *Grin* delves into how identities are shaped by racial hierarchies, while the act of unmasking becomes a powerful and transformative process.
Presented: Theater Centre Canada, Toronto 2022; Cultura Inglesa Festival in Brazil, 2022; Battersea Art Centre, London 2022; Made In Scotland Showcase 2021 (Edinburgh Fringe Festival); Sick of The Fringe, London, 2018; Dance International Glasgow 2019; Tramway, Glasgow, 2017.
Trailer by Jen Martin
Snippet
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Dancers and Collaborators: Kemono L.Riot, Divine Amy Tasinda & Levent Nyembo (previous collaborator)
Director and Choreographer: Mele Broomes
Music Composer: Patricia Panther
Featured track : "Five Rand Airtime nama-eveready : 4000 degrees" by SPAZA
Director of Photography: Daniel Hughes
Lighting Design: Michaella Fee
Producer: Siân Baxter
Costume Design: Zephyr Liddell
Photography: Tiu Makkonen
Production Stage Manger: Zephyr Liddell
Supported by Tramway, Project X and Creative Scotland
Meet Divine Tasinda
Meet Kemono L.Riot
Meet Patricia Panther
GRIN: The Refusal
Art Video & Music Production
Music Producer Shaheeda Sinckler
Visuals Animated and Directed by Isabel Barfod
Executive Producer (music production) Mele Broomes
Vocalists & Vocal Poetics Gillian Katungi (PAIX) and Jeremy Mbiba
Artists Conversation Kemono L.Riot, Divine Tasinda, Levent Nyembo and Mele Broomes
Captions Emilia Beatriz, Sarya Wu & Shaheeda Sinkler
Caption Consultant Bea Webster
“★★★★
Both Nyembo and Tasinda were born in the Congo but now live in Scotland, and with Broomes are questioning how their black skin and African/Caribbean movement is viewed. The show’s title refers to the need for people to smile through oppression – to pretend to be something you’re not
Dance International Glasgow 2020
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★★★★
Drumming and dancehall rhythms shake positive vibes into the room as the dancers get more and more loose and joyful, defiantly refusing ‘to be rendered abject”
Dance International Glasgow 2019
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“Grin has grown into a powerful duet, challenging perceptions of African and Caribbean dance. We meet the team bringing the show to Dance International Glasgow
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