MoveMeant Workshop: Movement and Expression with Tobi Balogun
- Date:
- Wed 2 Oct 2024
- Time:
- 10:30 - 13:00
- Please Note:
- No external footwear allowed in studio. Shoe covers can be provided at reception if requested.
- Venue:
- DanceHouse
- Admission:
- €15 public | €10 DI Members
- Level:
- Open
- Teacher:
- Tobi Balogun
About MoveMeant
The MoveMeant Residency and workshops were developed by artist Oluwatobiloba “Tobi” Balogun in collaboration with cultural producer Karen Aguiar and are supported by a partnership with Dance Ireland. They aim to provide space and connection for dancers and dance artists of different backgrounds to evolve and develop new approaches for their creative practice and future work; reflecting on how we present what moves us as individuals, as a community; and exploring how topics are expressed in our work and how this space can be co-created or made more sustainable.
Find out more about MoveMeant here.
Movement and Expression with Tobi Balogun
Tobi invites you to join him in a workshop focused on expressive exploration. Looking at hiphop foundations and Afro-centric expressions. Focusing on raw, evocative expression and communication in movement. Understanding textures, dynamics and how softness, subtlety and flow can lend to articulation. In class we’ll look at foundations from different styles and look to better understand how our body moves, as well as how these can be abstracted for self-expression.
Methods such as using a bounce as a means of travel. How approaches to isolation, proprioception and understanding the body affect movement and how we express intention in our timing. We’ll also look at how different styles are interconnected through natural movement and how this central groove/element could be fused into expressive movement. We will also explore Melodic Phrasing, which combines African American rhythmic based speech patterns (which hold emotional meanings without pitch) with African vernacular expression looking at how tonal/pitch qualities convey meanings on top of the meaning of the words.
Bringing this into our movement and exploring how feelings are expressed on top of a rhythm. ‘Feelings first’
The class is open to any level of experience with dance.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE
ABOUT Tobi Balogun
Oluwatobiloba “Tobi” Balogun is a Multidisciplinary Artist, working across Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts and Design. In 2024 he was awarded a residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais where he further developed his work around Black masculinity through installation, voice and performance. Most recently Tobi exhibited his work as part of Behind the Curtain - Artworks 2024, the annual open call exhibition hosted by VISUAL as part of Carlow Arts Festival. His practice is centred on Hip Hop as critical pedagogy and Afro surrealism. Fusing traditional cultural elements with contemporary street culture to create vivid, expressive storytelling.
In 2020 he received a Create Bursary to develop phase one of BLACK CANVAS - an R&D project in relation to Black-Irish creatives and communities. In 2021 he also received an Art’s Council - Bursary Award to develop work emerging from this, which included a curatorial residency in Dance Ireland (MoveMEANT 2022), LIBERTY VIBES - and event supported by DCC Local Live Performance, and NATIVES as part of Culture Night (2022). Most recently he curated and directed ESCAIR (2024), drawing together some of Ireland’s leading creatives in celebration of Afro Irish culture at Dance Ireland. Tobi is part of a strategic thinking partnership between Dublin Dance Festival, 5 lamps Festival, Carlow Arts Festival and Top 8.
In 2024 he was also invited to contribute to the Create Learning Lab which collects expertise and narratives around collaborative leadership and social change. As a performer he was invited by Dublin Dance Festival to form a collaboration between leading Irish Street Dance artists and French dancers Collective Faire as part of Dance Scapes 2024.
In 2022 and 2023 he was invited to perform at John Scott’s Dancer from the Dance and also choreographed and performed JUXTA for Project Arts Centre’s Open Day. As a choreographer and movement director he worked with Theatre Maker Louise White, Felispeaks and with music artists Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran among others. He has also performed with Theatre Company Brokentalkers as part of the cast in ‘Manifest’ (Project Arts Centre) and worked for contemporary choreographers such as David Bolger - as part of an ensemble in LAOCHRA (2016), for Ailish Claffey in RAW (2017), along side Joanna Banks, Jessie Keenan and Glenna Batson and for Cathy Coughlan in OIL&WATER (2016) & TRANS-BORDER (2016). As a professional member of Dance Ireland and founding member of Human Collective Dance Company Tobi has co- created many works for stage including FABLE for Dublin Fringe Festival (2018), performed at Project Arts Centre and nominated for a Best Ensemble Award.
As a facilitator he has developed youth projects in association with choreographers Cathy Coughlan, Maria Nilsson Waller and with organisations such as South Dublin County Council, Tallaght Community Arts, Dublin City Council and Dance Ireland. From 2018-’19 he delivered weekly classes at CoisCeim Dance Theatre as part of their Broadreach Programme. Over the last 5 years Tobi has established himself as a new voice in Irish clothing, creating bespoke pieces for specific events and commercial video work, as well as made to order designs for his own clothing line and ongoing project - WAHALA.
For further information:
- Telephone: +353 1 855 8800
- Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)