My concept here was ‘Motion and Levitation’. When asking myself what my South is, I revisited the grounding sensations of motion and dance in capoeira and breakdancing; up becoming down, down becoming up, and so on. But unlike the gymnasts with their plush spring-loaded floors, we Bboys and capoeira players borrowed our power from the source of the gravity that limited us: the Earth. Dancers are unstoppable once they find their center. Like people in life. The intensity, heat and pressure found at the Earth’s core is metaphoric for the personal journal to our own centers. No different to the nuclear fission of the Sun holding our galaxy together. So how powerful must we be? How differently would we behave if we knew this? And if all motion is eventually balanced, then what ‘really’ moves?
Levitation is experienced after building up energy to suspend oppressing forces. This is a common experience in the types of dance I practice, and I find it quite symbolic of life.
Papa was born to Ghanaian parents in London, but is a global citizen at heart. Recovering academic. Dancer (breakdance, and capoeira). Dad. Wannabe scientist. Published author. Poet. Character illustrator (pencil and Photoshop). Graphic designer. Project manager (similar to being a dad really). Hip Hopper. Urban philosopher. He is now exploring how to express his activism on housing, homelessness and living standards through poetry and graphic illustrations.
