Translating as ‘truth stands’, Enowate is a term, originating from Cameroon, West Africa. Something we all in our own ways seem to search for, the concept of truth is paramount to how we access reality. An introspective hour, looking at oneself, dancer and choreographer Dickson Mbi presents Enowate – a solo foray into the unseen, but deeply felt.
A gradual melting away of memory and the mundane, Enowate takes us from the chaotic, lively environment of the school playground, the competition and camaraderie of the football pitch, to the ethereal, evocative realities of going beyond physical form and connecting with culture, heritage and the spiritual realm. Sustained, fluid arm ripples and extensions a common motif ushering in the process of exploration and transformation – we here watching Mbi initiate the process of delving deeper into who he is.
Enowate skilfully grasps what lies beyond, a powerful solo work resulting in Mbi contrasting the the slinky, slight energy of a snake with the stealth and strength of a tiger, the show’s animistic component characterised by an exaggerated, puffed out spine and rib cage that seems to take on an energy all of its own. It is this that encapsulates the show’s main body, one that – aligned wonderfully with Lee Curran’s dynamic lighting design – from a zebra crossing effect, to a brightly light square centre stage to an array of warm orange floodlights crafting an atmosphere of mystique that cultivates a shamanistic air, one of ritual, one where animal spirits are channelled and embraced, a facet that makes the evening mesmeric as we very slowly foster a sense of calm yet intrigue. Teamed up with Yeast Culture’s starry, astrological video projection designs and Roger Goula’s immersive, electronic, earthy, trasportational sound compositions, and Enowate asks for the onlooker to let go of what currently is, who you think you are and to tap into the primal – the production a hypnotic hour and worth the watch!
Written by Lucy Basaba.
Enowate is currently showing until Saturday 15th October 2022 at Sadler’s Wells as part of their Well Seasoned programme. To find out more about the production, visit here…
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