Review: Re:INCARNATION, Southbank Centre

Re:INCARNATION by Qudus Onikeku and the QDance Company, presented by Dance Consortium, is a Lagos-infused dance production, which debuts at London’s Southbank Centre at the start of its international tour. Re:INCARNATION is set in three parts: Ibi (birth), Iku (death) and Atunbi (re-birth). Each section is showcased through a fusion of contemporary styles (including crumping, shaku shaku, waacking and gbeku) alongside traditional Yoruba dance.

In a post-show discussion with QDance Company’s founder/choreographer Qudus Onikeku and music director Olatunde Obajeun, Onikeku explains that whilst living in France he realised that the work he wished to create yearned for talent that could only be found in the unique melting pot that is Lagos, Nigeria. After relocating to Lagos, the QDance Company was formed in 2019 and Onikeku set to work creating his vision for Re:INCARNATION.

It’s clear to see the influences of Lagos embedded throughout the show, particularly in the costumes designed by Mary Peter Ochei, which bear resemblance to traditional attire but with an inventive twist. Though framed by chapters, the story itself is quite abstract, yet despite this, the overall themes of the show are translated quite profoundly. 

The production begins with two musicians placed either side of the stage. In the centre there are items of clothing hanging downstage. When the performers buoyantly enter for the first chapter, ‘Ibi’, they eventually don the hanging clothes as they explore the many facets of what birth represents. It feels playful and curious and full of expectation for the future. It’s here that we’re introduced to the familiar Nigerian dance styles which populate the mainstream. The buoyancy is interrupted and the tone shifts to one of uncertainty; indicating the arrival of the next chapter, ‘Iku’. Death is often portrayed as sombre, but in this production there is reverence and vitality assigned to its depiction. The visual references to traditional Yoruba burial rituals are all the more captivating when combined with the company’s expressive movement and storytelling. The performance illuminates a Gothic and haunting beauty in these sacred customs. The final chapter, ‘Atunbi’, much like the title suggests, is a celebration of renewed life and the raw, unabashed embracing of it. 

An integral part of the show is the score composed by Olatunde Obajeun, performed live alongside the dancers. The musicians play an array of instruments including the dùndún (talking drum) in conjunction with operating the audio system to accompany their playing. Onikeku shares how he and Obajeun connected through their eclectic taste and desire to create Nigerian music that wasn’t always Afro Beats (which drew quite a laugh from the audience). This collaboration yields a soundscape that is magnetic and transporting, adding extra colour and depth to the scenes performed. 

The ethos of reincarnation is a tenet of Yoruba spirituality that deeply feeds into every facet of this production. Evolving, improvised segments create raw and authentic performances and the choreographed aspects provide a strong framework to bolster the interpretive dance. There is a sense that each performance will differ from the last; reinventing itself with each iteration.

This production has the bright colours and exuberance which is often what audiences associate with ‘African’ dance but Re:INCARNATION challenges this; even through the subversive spelling of its name. It seeks to dig beneath the layers of Yoruba culture and beyond the contemporary Nigeria formed by British rule. It’s an exploration into the multi-dimensional identities of Lagos through its rich, complex history and its uncompromising present.

Founder, Artistic Director & Choreographer: Qudus Onikeku
Music Director & Composer: Olatunde Obajeun
Dance Lead & Artistic Assistant: Addy Oyinkuro Daniel 

Dancers: Oba Ugochukwu Henry, Ruth Elphygo Felix, Faith Chukwuemeka Okoh, Angela Uchenna Okolo, Addy Oyinkuro Daniel, Dominic Terfa Abella, Wisdom Henry Bethel, Emmanuel Henry David, Esther Essien, Grace Diepreye Okilo

Re:INCARNATION has finished its run at the Southbank Centre.

For further information about QDance Company and Dance Consortium, click on the links.