Wanjiru Kamuyu brings to life emotional stories of immigration, blending different dance styles with visceral memories.
Wanjiru Kamuyu questions the notions of place, belonging and otherness. A cosmopolitan on three continents— Africa, North America, and Europe—wherever she decides to set up home, is she considered an immigrant?
A migratory map of encounters, her dance starts with ballet, studied during her childhood in Kenya, then moves to contemporary dance after her parents moved the family to the USA. Kamuyu’s dance reveals her career journey and delights in dances from the African continent and diasporas, as well as butõ. Her body is a constantly shifting map.
Kamuyu’s solo interrogates the gaze upon ‘the foreigner’ in a new space and society. The work uses satire to offer a critical eye on the notions of place and placement that are prevalent in today’s political discourse.
“Having lived on three different continents has provided the privileged space and time to absorb different cultures and worldviews. The current critically sensitive (im)migration issue at the forefront of worldwide political debates has inspired me to re-examine my (im)migration stories and consequentially cultivated a desire to examine the notions of and politics surrounding the privileged vs. unprivileged (im)migrant,” notes Kamuyu.
IN RESIDENCY FROM OCTOBER 2–8, 2023
Wanjiru Kamuyu was in residency at PS21, conducting free workshops in Hudson at Kite’s Nest
OCTOBER 4th
KITE’S NEST CENTER FOR LIBERATORY EDUCATION
HUDSON, NY
Dancer and choreographer Wanjiru Kamuyu is associate artist with Théâtre L’Onde Théâtre Centre d’Art, Scène Conventionnée Création pour la Danse. (Vélizy-Villacoublay, France). Born in Kenya, Kamuyu moved to France in 2007, but began her career in New York City. She has worked with choreographers such as Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Bill T. Jones (Broadway musical FELA!,) Okwui Okpokwasili, Molissa Fenley, Dean Moss and in Europe with Robyn Orlin, Emmanuel Eggermont, Nathalie Pubellier as well as Julie Taymor (Broadway musical The Lion King) amongst others. Kamuyu has performed in theater on The Lion King Paris production and FELA! UK production. Her choreographic projects include tours in the US, Africa, and Europe.
Choreographer and performer: Wanjiru Kamuyu
Dramaturge and producer: Dirk Korell
Texts: Laetitia AjanohunMusic
Composition: LACRYMOBOY With the voices of: Sherwood Chen, David Gaulein-Stef, Naïs Haidar, Karine Hanselmann, Wanjiru Kamuyu, Dirk Korell, Crystal Petit, Monika Schwarzl, Sean Seago and the stories of: Tout-Monde
Light design: Cyril Mulon
Costume design: Birgit Neppl
The show is performed in English.
Duration: 1 hour.
Special thanks to: Robyn Orlin, Jean Gaudin and David Gaulein-StefExecutive production: camin aktionCo-production: Espace 1789 de Saint-Ouen, scène conventionnée de Saint-OuenLa Manufacture CDCN Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux / La RochelleL’échangeur – CDCN Hauts-de-FranceMusée National de l’Histoire de l’ImmigrationWith the support of FUSED, French US Exchange in Dance & Villa Albertine.
The performances of Never Twenty One by Smaïl Kanouté and An Immigrant’s Story by Wanjiru Kamuyu are part of Villa Albertine 2023 Dance Season: A year-long celebration of the art of dance from inception to performance.
