Tony Adigun: Avant Garde Work In Progress

There’s no doubting it – it’s December, leaving five months to go before Breakin’ Convention 2012. While the submissions are open for dance companies to apply to be in next year’s festival, Breakin’ Convention is nurturing specially selected choreographers to produce newly commissioned work for BC ’12 already.

Tony Adigun of Avant Garde Dance was selected as part of a new choreographic commission between Breakin’ Convention (Sadler’s Wells) and Work in Progress (WIP) and has been working in France for two weeks with four dancers in Paris.

The partnership involved research and collaboration studying movement and choreography while comparing techniques to create new work and seizing the opportunity for hip hop artists on either side of the Channel to work together.

Given the choice of three choreographers to work with, Tony chose to work with Sébastien Ramirez (Clash 66), Pierre Rigal (Compagnie Last Minute) and Babson (Wanted Posse Collective) and the dancers Aziz Baki, Salomon Baneck-Asall, Kiel Ewen, and Gianni Grot.

On Friday 9 December Tony and the dancers performed the ideas that he had developed on the theme of water in front of a live audience with his dancers, showcasing 50 minutes of material.

The next phase of the WIP project will commence in April where Tony will create a 25 minute piece to be shown in London at Breakin’ Convention 2012 and at in Paris at the WIP Festival in July.

Tony Adigun is an associate artist with East London Dance and The Place Theatre.