Mufutau Yusuf Impasse
Freesheet
About Impasse
Impasse is a powerful, driving, and charged duet that seeks to understand the politics of the Black body in a contemporary western society. Through striking imagery, raw physicality and emotional intensity the performance challenges the historical racial projections of blackness – its crudeness, threat, sexuality, rage and immorality – unveiling its power, grace, sensuality, tenderness, intelligence and love.
Stemming from an interest in racial and identity politics, particularly the politics and experiences of the black body and all its implications and realities, I wanted to further understand what my relationship is with my black body, and its experience in a contemporary western society. I became particularly interested in the experiences of the black diaspora, leading to enquiries on notions of power, visibility, memory, migration, traditions and then ultimately questioning what it means to be a diasporic entity, how we inhabit spaces in which our existence is not clearly marked, how the question of memory becomes a critical one and by which our identity is secured. Moreover, I also wanted to explore the bias narratives that have been carved on black bodies over the last few centuries, narratives that continue to be perpetuated, and highlight the challenges that come with countering them.
Mufutau Yusuf
About Mufutau Yusuf
Mufutau Yusuf is a Nigeria-born Irish choreographer, performer, teacher, and curator based between Ireland and Brussels. A graduate of Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance, Mufutau is a dancer with Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez in Belgium and in Ireland with Liz Roche Company and John Scott’s Irish Modern Dance Theatre. As a performer, he has worked with Emma Martin/United Fall, Catherine Young Dance, Pan Pan Theatre, Anton Lackhy, Ricardo Ambrozio, Ian Kaler, to name a few.
Mufutau debuted his first full evening work, entitled ‘Òwe’, in 2022 in New York and subsequently at Dublin Fringe Festival and various other venues and festivals across Ireland and Europe. His most recent work ‘Impasse’ premiered at the Dublin Dance Festival 2024. Mufutau is a resident choreographer with Luail, Ireland’s national dance company, an associate artist with Solstice Arts Centre and Liz Roche Company, and a recipient of the Irish Arts Council Dance Bursary award 2020 and Project Award 2022 and 2023. His passion for improvisation and sharing has bought him to share his teaching practice to various platforms, festivals, and institutions such as Tipperary international Dance Festival, University of Limerick, the American University in Washington, among others. Mufutau is also a co-cutor of ‘TW1’ (Train With One), a bi-monthly workshop platform which aims to bridge the gap between the Irish contemporary dance scene with that of continental Europe.
Artistic Team & Credits
Choreographer / Performer / Set Designer Mufutau Yusuf
Performer Lukah Katangila
Sound Design & Composer Tom Lane
Composer Mick Donohoe
Light Designer Matt Burke
Costume Design Alison Brown
Prop Design Maryam Yusuf
Text / Spoken Word Ikenna Anyabuike
Rehearsal Assistant Rima Baransi
Production Manager Lisa Mahony
Stage Manager / Set Consultant Lisa Krugel
Producer Gwen Van Spyk
Funded by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon with support from Culture Ireland
Tour produced by Luail, Ireland’s National Dance Company
Originally commissioned and co-produced by Liz Roche Company
Supported by Solstice Arts Centre, Dance Cork Firkin Crane, Irish Arts Centre New York, Ultima Vez, Dublin Dance Festival, Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, Maison de la Danse, Lyon, Le Pôle européen de création, Centre National de la Danse
