The world of ZAYO exists in an ancestral plane where time stands still. The land is a holding space for ancestors who are tasked to support the journey of The Chosen One. Guided by Amegashi; the Lead Ancestor, and the Council of Ancestors who build tests to determine the worthiness of The Chosen One. ZAYO is a powerful dance/theatre work driven by rhythm and transcendence created, directed and choreographed by multidisciplinary artist and TEDx speaker Esie Mensah. This work is rooted in the embodiment of Sankofa; fusing principles and knowledge of her Ancestral wisdom anchored in Afrofusion movement to shape a new perspective on African storytelling.
Contact information
Company: Esie Mensah Creations
Contact: Esie Mensah
Position: Choreographer / Director
Country: Canada / Ghana
Mobile: (647) 880-7514
Email: esie@esiemensah.com
Website: www.esiemensah.com
X: @esiemensah
Instagram: @esiemensah
Facebook: Esie Mensah the Artist
Production information
Title of Piece: ZAYO
Artform: Dance
Age Suitability: 7+
Use of Text: Light
Language: English
Key Personnel
Creator/Director/Choreographer Esie Mensah
Lead Presenter / Dance Immersion Timea Wharton-Suri
Consulting Producer Meredith Potter
Afrofuturist Consultant / Artist Quentin VerCetty
Composer / Percussionist Yohance Parsons
Lighting Designer Bonnie Beecher
Set/ Costume Designer Rachel Forbes
Touring Information
Scale of Show: Small
Appropriate Setting: Indoor
Running Time: 70 minutes
Number of Performers on Stage: 8
No of People on Tour: 11
Touring Availability
Suitable for Rural Touring: No
Outreach and Educational Work: Workshops: Movement sessions using storytelling and Afrofusion/Afrobeats to explore identity and ancestry—open to all levels.
Talks: Sharing how art and spirituality can honour and heal ancestral roots.
