Opiyo Okach

Opiyo Okach is a dancer, choreographer and artistic director of GaaraProjects. He divides his time & develops work between France and Kenya.

Since 1999 his work has toured in Africa, Brazil, Europe & the US and been presented at a wide range of venues and festivals including Dancespace at St Marks New York, Festival Avignon, Rencontres chorégraphiques de Seine-Saint-Denis, Dance Umbrella, Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts in San Francisco, Theater der Welt, Pact Zollverein in Germany…

He has acted as a catalyst for the development of dance in East Africa and continues to support the emergence of a new generation of dance artists. He recently initiated ‘Performance Lab Nairobi’ - a collaborative platform for contemporary creation process at the GoDown Arts Centre in Nairobi, Kenya

He has received numerous awards including the ‘Rencontres chorégraphiques Africains’ in 1998, the ‘prix du Nouveau Talent Chorégraphiques SACD 2003’ as well as a ‘Prince Claus Award for Culture and Development 2005’.

In I996 Opiyo Okach, Faustin Linyekula and Afrah Tenambergen form the first contemporary dance company in Kenya, La Compagnie Gàara. With its first creation, ‘Cleansing’, the company wins a prize at the African Choreographic Encounters 1998. ‘Cleansing’ opens the door to the international scene and marks the beginning of support by principle figures of French dance such as Régine Chopinot or Mathilde Monnier. From 1998 the Ballet Atlantique Régine Chopinot supports and partners the group through a series of residencies and choreographic exchange.

In 1999, in collaboration with the Centre Chorégraphique de Montpellier, the Ballet Altlantique supports the company’s new project consisting the solo ‘Dilo’ for which Opiyo Okach becomes known in Europe. Following presentation at the Plateaux de Biennale du Val-de-Marne in 2001 and Hivernales d’Avignon in 2002, the solo, ‘Dilo’ based on improvisation and instant composition work and inspired by the mythology of nomadic ethnic groups in eastern Africa tours internationally to over 17 countries.

Between 2000 & 2002 Opiyo Okach, with the support of a number of international partners, lays the bases for a long time choreographic development project in Nairobi. In 2002 the choreographic creation ‘Abila’ premieres in Nairobi and is presented at Ballet Atlantique and Centre National de la Danse in France, then subsequently tours in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean region as well as in Europe.

In 2003 the society of authors and dramatic composers (SACD) awards Opiyo Okach the prix du Nouveau Talent Chorégraphique 2003. SACD commissions him to create a new solo for Festival d’Avignon 2003. His collaboration with the renown improviser, Julyen Hamilton, gives birth to the solo ‘No Man’s Gone Now’. The work premieres at Centre National de la Danse in January 2004 and has since known international success. 2004 is rich in new transversal collaboration, notably with choreographer such as Thierry Niang, hosted in residency in Nairobi and Emmanuel Grivet.

Opiyo’s recent work, ‘shift…centre’, is an evolutive process in which audiences, local artists and company dancers occupy the same scenographic space. ‘shift…centre…’ premiered in Nairobi in 2005 and has toured in France, Germany, South Africa, Mozambique, Brazil and the UK. He is currently developing the choreographic project ‘Territories in Transgression’ interrogating today’s global polarisation. The first work of the project ‘Border Border Express’ premiered at the Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de Seine-Saint-Denis in May 2009. Other works in development include ‘Body Evidence’ a solo, ‘What flag would it be if your body was a country’ - work for 9 performers, ‘The house that never walked’ - work for 8 performers, ‘The innocent, the guilty, the victim, the perpetrator’ - a multi-disciplinary work integrating digital creation.

Today Opiyo Okach is also artistic director of Gaara Dance Foundation - created in 2002 to consolidate the choreographic activity initiated in Kenya. Its activities include choreographic research, artist residency, choreographic exchange, support for creation and diffusion of work. Regional and pan African exchange such as the Dance Encounters (East African Dance Encounters 2003, Retracing Connections 2004, Encoding identities 2005) initiated in 2003 are part of its mission. Starting 2011 he initiates a new project - Performance Lab Nairobi – an artist, choreographic and audience development process placing the body within a broader contemporary creation context.

What flag would it be if your body was a country (in development) work for 9 to 12 performers

2014: Performance Lab #7 Nairobi, Godown Arts Centre - Nairobi, Kenya - presentations of work in process

Body Evidence (in development) solo Opiyo Okach

presentations of work in process:

2014: Festival Nio Far, Theatre de l'Etoile du Nord - Paris France, Performance lab #7 Nairobi, Godown Arts Centre - Nairobi, Kenya

2011: Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts - San Francisco, USA

The house that never walked (in development) piece pour 9 performers

presentations of work in process:

2013: Deutsches Theater - Göttingen, Allemagne, Karlsruhe, Kulturzentrum Tempel - Karlsruhe, Allemagne, Staatstheater Kassel - Allemagne

2012: Schwankhalle - Bremen, Allemagne

Border Border Express (2008) duo Opiyo Okach/Alejandro Olarte

2011: Hebbel am Ufer, Border Border Festival - Berlin, Allemagne

2009: BASS Festival, Birmingham Dancexchange, Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome - Birmingham UK, Espace Culturel Blanc Mesnil, Rencontres chorégraphiques internationales de Seine-Saint Denis, Paris, CCN de Montpellier, France, Festival Les Hivernales, Théâtre des Hivernales - Avignon, Art Danse, Le Festival - Dijon, L’atheneum centre culturel de l’université de bourgogne

2008: Border Border Express', World Performance Festival, Yale University, Connecticut USA, La Comète, Scène nationale de Châlons-en-Champagne, France

Take it Away (2007) duo Andreya Ouamba/Alejandro Olarte

2007: Trident, Scène Nationale de Cherbourg, Centre Chorégraphique de Caen, France, Festival Pèlerinage - Kunsfest Weimar, Allemagne, Le Sujet à Vif - Festival Avignon/SACD, France

Shift...Centre (2005) piece for 9 to 12 dancers

Presentations 2005 - 2009: Shift Centre #10, The Place : Robin Howard Dance Theatre, Dance Umbrella - Londres, Grande Bretagne, ‘Shift Centre #9, Theater der Welt 2008, Neues Theater - Halle, Allemagne, ‘Shift Centre', Theater der Welt, Galerie Talstrabe - Halle, Allemagne, ‘Shift Centre’, Theater der Welt, Wörlitz - Halle, Allemagne, Shift...Centre #8, Sesc Tijuca Rua Barao de Mesquita, Festival Panorama de dança - Rio de Janeiro, Brésil, Shift Centre #7, Plateform danse - Bastia, France, Shift Centre #6, L'Animal Esquina - Celra, Espagne, Shift centre #5, Dance Factory, New Dance Festival - Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud, Shift Centre #5, KNZSA Gallery, Jomba Festival - Durban, Afrique du Sud, Shift Centre #5, Maputo, Mozambique, Shift centre #4, Théâtre de la Cité Internationale - Paris, France, Shift centre #3, Festival Traverses, Centre Chorégraphique d'Orléans/Joseph Nadj - Orléans, France, Shift Centre #3, Centre Chorégraphique de Caen - Festival danse d'Ailleurs - Caen, France, Shift centre #2, Festival des Francophonies en Limousin - Limoges, France, Shift centre #1, Nairobi Encounters - Nairobi, Kenya

Accords perdus (2005) duo Opiyo Okach/Emmanuel Grivet

Presentations 2006 - 2007: Studio de la Manutention, L'été des Hivernales - Avignon, France, Strasbourg Nouvelle Danse - Strasbourg, France, Centre culturel français, Festival dance Bamako Dance - Bamako, Mali, Centro Cultural del Matadero-Huesca (Espagne), Le Cuvier de Feydeau - Artigues, France

Figures libres (2004) duo Opiyo Okach/Thierry Niang

Presentations 2004: Studio Kéléménis, Marseille (France), Région en Scène, Ventabren (France), Espace Culturel Comoedia, Festival danse en avril - Aubagne, France, Théâtre de la Coupe d'Or - Rochefort, France, Festival Les Passerelles - Théâtres en Dracénie, Scène conventionnée dès l'enfance & pour la danse, Draguignan, France, Festival d'Uzes - Uzes France, Le 3 bis F - Aix en Provence, France

No Man's gone now (2002) solo collaboration with Julien Hamilton

Presentations 2003 - 2009: BASS Festival, Birmingham Dancexchange, Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome - Birmingham UK,, World Performance Festival, Yale university, Connecticut USA, La Comète, Scène nationale de Châlons-en-Champagne, France, Maison des Arts de Créteil, Paris, Bienal SESC de Dança, Santos – São Paulo, Brasil, Grande Teatro, Palacio das Artes, Forum International de Danca - Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Antiteatro Dragão do Mar e Teatro José de Alencar, Bienal internacional de dança do ceara - Fortaleza, Brazil, Centre culturel français, Festival dance Bamako Dance - Bamako (Mali), Gobierno Civil - Cadiz, Espagne, Centre Andalous d’Art Contemporain - Seville, Espagne , Iglesia San Luis, Festival Mes de Danza/ La Espiral danza - Seville, Espagne , Sala Maria Plans, Festival Internacional de dansa de Terrassa, Espagne, Sala Manuel Rueda, ACP Festival, Santo Domingo - Republique Dominicain, Le théâtre - Scène conventionnée, Perpignan - Théâtre Municipal (France), Le Printemps de la danse - Rencontres chorégraphiques de Carthages - Tunis, Festival Nouvelles de Danse, Pôle Sud - Strasbourg, France, Le Cuvier de Feydeau - Artigues, France, Festival Coeurs à danser - Théâtres en Dracénie - Draguignan, France, Tanztheater - Drei Wochen mit Pina Bausch in Düsseldorf, Essen und Wuppertal" - Essen, Allemagne, St Pierre des Cuisines, Le printemps de septembre - dans le cadre des soirées Nomades organisées par la Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain Toulouse, France, Biennale du Val de Marne (plateforme professionnelle) Maison des Arts André Malraux de Créteil - place Salvador Allende - Créteil, France , Festival of the Dhow Countries - Zanzibar, Fabrica Europa - Florence, Italie, The Townhouse Gallery - Le Caire - Egypte, Centre Culturel Français de Cotonou - Fitheb, Bénin, Théâtre du Saulcy - Metz, France, Centre National de la Danse - Paris, France, Festival Hors Cadre Danse - 3 bis F Lieu d'Art Contemporain - Aix-en-Provence, France

Abila (2002) piece for 7 performers

Presentations 2002 - 2004: Deutshes Nationaltheater & Staatskapelle - Weimar - Allemagne, Iles de Danses : MJC Théâtre - Colombes (92), France, Iles de Danses : Théâtre de Cachan - Cachan (94), France, Teatro Nuovo di Torino, Festival Afro e Oltre e Altro - Turin, Italie, Masa Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, The Godown Arts Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, Théâtre National/Alliance Française, Kampala, Ouganda, Theatre Hager Kikele/Alliance Française - Addis Abbeba, Ethiopie, Centre d’échanges culturels franco-rwandais - Kigali, Rwanda, Centre Culturel Français - Burundi, Centre International de Conférences/Alliance Française - Victoria, Seychelles, Centre culturel Albert Camus - Tananarive, Madagascar, Dance Factory/Institut Français - Johannesbourg, Afrique du Sud,, Centre Culturel Français - Maputo, Mozambique, Braeburn Theatre/Maison Française - Nairobi, Kenya, Théâtre des Tanneurs/Festival Africalia - Bruxelles, Belgique, Kampnagel Kultur Fabrik - Hambourg, Allemagne, Presqu'Iles de Danse, Théâtre à Châtillon - Châtillon, France, Centre National de la Danse - Paris, France, Ballet Atlantique, Régine Chopinot - La Rochelle, France

Dilo (1999) solo Opiyo Okach

Presentations 1999 - 2004: Kortrijk (Belgique) Centre Culturel de Courtrai - De Kortrijkse Schouwburg, Julidans festival - Amsterdam, Pays-Bas, Fabrica Europa - Florence, Italie, Deutshes Nationaltheater & Staatskapelle - Weimar, Allemagne, Centre chorégraphique national, Festival Traverses - Orléans, France, Kulturhallen Dampfzentrale, Festival Culture contemporaine de l'afrique noire à Berne, Suisse, Espace Lino Ventura, Iles de Danses - Torcy, France, French Cultural Centre, Lagos - Nigéria, Centre Culturel Français, Lomé - Togo, Centre Culturel Français, Ouagadougou - Burkina Faso, Centre Culturel Français, Bobodioulasso - Burkina Faso, Centre Culturel Français, Dakar - Sénégal, Centre Culturel Français, Saint Louis - Sénégal, Centre Culturel Français, Conakry - Guinée, Festival Tanz im August - Berlin, Allemagne, Festival Mladi Levi - Lubljana, Slovénie, Théâtre des Tanneurs/Festival Africalia - Bruxelles, Belgique, Rencontres de Danse Métisse – Cayenne France, Festival Hors Cadre Danse – Aix en Provence France, Festival Dunya Windows to the World – Rotterdam Netherlands, Les Hivernales - Avignon France, Théàtre de l’Etoile du Nord - Paris France, Plateaux de la Biennale du Val de Marne – Maison des Arts, Créteil France, Le Printemps de la Danse - Salle la Valette France, Maison Française – Nairobi Kenya, Festival Nous N’irons pas à Avignon - Gare au Théâtre Vitry/Seine France, St Marks Danspace avec 651 Arts - New York USA, Centre National de la Danse - Paris France, Théâtre Molière/OARA - Bordeaux France, Atelier du Plateau - Paris France, Ballet Atlantique/Régine Chopinot - La Rochelle France, Théâtre Jean Vilar - Montpellier présenté par le Centre Chorégraphique de Montpellier, soirée Afrique en Création - Paris France