Idrissa Camara, from Guinea Konakry in West Africa, came to Cardiff in 2009 and founded Wales’ only professional Black dance company, Ballet Nimba, whose award-winning traditional African productions toured Wales and beyond for nearly a decade.
SPIRIT OF NIMBA is Idrissa’s explosive new dance show, a joyous lockdown survival story, that’s guaranteed to gladden the heart!
This uplifting dance show, which fuses together African dance traditions with urban street dance, is powered by an original live soundtrack that combines violin, drumkit and vocals with West African roots and rhythms on kora, bolom and djembe drums.
Idrissa has collaborated with six dancers and musicians for the piece. Team Nimba consists of dancers Eddie Amoateng Manu, Ofelia Balogun & Kim Noble and musicians Mark O’Connor, Lucy Rivers & Suntou Susso.
Talking about the show, Idrissa Camara said: “Ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that can happen to a professional dancer? At the height of the pandemic, whilst extremely isolated, my feet became infected and I was unable to walk, let alone dance, for months. The future seemed so bleak at times.
“However, my ancestral voices saved me during the darkest days of lockdown. Sitting at dawn on the banks of the Taff, I was filled with the power of my roots and so the traditional Spirit of Nimba brought me back from the brink.
“This show is my call out to one and all about the importance of celebrating the sheer joy of being alive!”
SPIRIT OF NIMBA is suitable for all ages, everyone welcome!
The show runs at Chapter Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 May.
On Saturday 21 May there’s a Relaxed Matinee performance particularly for children and adults on the autism spectrum or with learning disabilities, and their families, friends and carers.
