It Begins in Darkness
News
History haunts the present as ghostly dance performance comes to Bath Spa
Friday, 20 October, 2023On Thursday 26 October, eminent choreographer, Seke Chimutengwende’s, latest dance piece, It begins in darkness, will conclude its autumn 2023 tour at Bath Spa University’s University Theatre, telling the history of slavery and colonialism through the metaphors of ghosts and haunted houses.
The tour included Chapter in Cardiff, The Place in London, Lancaster Arts and Bath Spa University.
It begins in darkness is an environment for processing the fear, anger and confusion which arise from the histories of slavery and colonialism that haunt the present.
In this stark, stripped-back performance, five dancers move through a series of mysterious and experimental rites of passage, channeling past, present and future tensions through their bodies and voices. As if to exorcise the haunted house of history, the dancers whisper, jump, wrestle, shiver, wail and laugh, filling the space with horrors, both real and imagined.
Seke Chimutengwende is a choreographer, performer, movement director and teacher. He has been researching the connections between horror, haunting and the histories of slavery and colonialism since 2019. The research has included the writing of a long piece of text, a rehearsal period on Zoom, and a residency at a stately home, alongside work in the studio.
It begins in darkness is Seke’s first independently created group piece since 2015, following recent works Black Holes, an Afrofuturist duet with Alexandrina Hemsley, Plastic Soul, part rock show, part dance solo, and Detective Work, a duet with Stephanie McMann about mystery and figuring things out.
Michelle Elliott, Subject Leader for Dance at Bath Spa University, said:
“The annual dance programming of professional dance artists and companies is a very important element of our focus as a subject team. It allows our students and regional audiences an opportunity to come together in a rich, collective shared experience.
“Dance is an important form of human literacy and we are committed to promoting work that shows how dancers can provide imaginative responses to important social and cultural issues. Seke's work offers an important contribution to the current debates in the UK about race, racism and the legacy of our colonial history and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to bring this work to Bath.“
It begins in darkness will be at the University Theatre on the 26 October. Book tickets via Bath Spa Live.
To find out more about the piece and Seke Chimutengwende’s other works, visit his website.
Bath Spa University are hosting a series of talks, film screenings and workshops in celebration of Black History Month – all centred around this year's theme, 'Celebrating our Sisters'. Find out more about this year’s events.