Review: Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove, Sadler’s Wells East

Sadler’s Wells East launches with its inaugural production, Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove with Uchenna Dance – and what a fantastic show to open this new venue!

Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu is a choreographer and founder of Uchenna Dance, whose dance style fuses Waacking, Vogue and House with traditional African and Contemporary. Her credits include Mass Movement Choreographer at the London 2012 Olympics and the praised Head Wrap Diaries. Our Mighty Groove was first showcased at Sadler’s Wells in 2013 and later developed into a full length production in 2015. For this iteration, Sadler’s Wells East premieres a mix of young dancers to join Uchenna Dance in a much grander scale production.

In the first half of the show the audience are onlookers, witnessing the opening of Club Groove. Guided by the voice of our MC we’re introduced to a multitude of wonderful characters who grace the club. Every move captivates, telling a story, and their infectious, excited energy permeates into the crowd; heartily reciprocated by cheers from the audience. The once static spectators begin to rhythmically move, slowly but surely shedding self-consciousness as it becomes difficult to sit still and resist the galvanic lure of the music pumping throughout the theatre. 

As the audience is led in for the second half, it feels like a completely different space. The whole auditorium has been converted into a dance floor with a central large podium and smaller ones place around it. The audience fills the space and is now immersed in the action as each character weaves in and out of the throng from one podium to another. The atmosphere in the theatre becomes akin to a concert arena as the story crescendos into an epic and glorious dance battle paying homage to a multitude of dance styles and genres. As the applause rings out for the curtain call, the music continues and the congregation is encouraged to fully partake in the mutual celebration of Club Groove. 

It was Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s own experience at a club that inspired the concept for the show. She encountered people of all ages and walks of life and by the end of the night felt, as she puts it, “like Janet Jackson”. It had such a resounding effect that Igbokwe-Ozoagu decided to recreate the essence of this experience for stage, enabling an audience to dance with liberated freedom and be enveloped by the life affirming fellowship it can engender. From beginning to end the production is structured in a way that invites show-goers to participate and by the end of the event they do, loving every minute of it.

The only downside is that it all ends far too soon. Once through the doors of Club Groove it’s difficult not to be enthralled by the fun and exhilarating spectacle of it all, feeling more than ready to extend the celebrations with abandonment throughout the night. But like all clubs, eventually the doors must close leaving the partygoers fizzing with good vibes whilst planning their next attendance at the venue. It’s said that the sign of a great performance is leaving your audience wanting more and Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu has certainly achieved this with her rousing production of Our Mighty Groove.  

Artistic Director and Choreographer: Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu
Associate Choreographer: Kloé Dean
Rehearsal Director: Joanne Bernard
Executive Producer: Grace Okereke
Costume Designer: Jodie-Simone Howe
Composer and Musical Director: Kweku Aacht
Set Designer: Simon Kenny
Lighting Designer: Matt Daw
Sound Design: Mark Webber
Dramaturg: Gail Babb

This show has finished it’s run at Sadler’s Wells.