Appiah Annan
- Afro-contemporary
Dance Practioner
By artsHub | Wednesday December 12 2012
Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship recipient Appiah Annan is a rare talent from Ghana, West Africa, who specialises in many forms of dance including traditional African, freestyle, hip hop, contemporary and acrobatics and is also an expert stick and hand drummer.
By 16 he was competing against Ghana’s finest and had worked with many international artists and companies including Slim Buster, Agoro, Ghana National Dance Ensemble and Afro Moses. Having little material resources of his own, the entrepreneurial minded Appiah had a vision to make a difference for his community. He initiated Asanti Dance Theatre in 2003. This project grew from a few artists living and training together on the beach to an internationally recognised 15-piece drum and dance theatre company. On coming to Australia in 2007, he initiated Asanti Australia where he is currently working on a new afro-contemporary dance style.
Appiah is completing a post graduate diploma in Community Cultural Development at the Victorian College of the Arts on a full scholarship. Appiah has also initiated ‘Nkabom’, his NGO project in Ghana, West Africa, which draws upon the arts and community cultural development to help educate locals and create a more sustainable community.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A dancer.
When did you know you would work in the arts?
I started dancing on the streets in Ghana at 10 years old and from then I knew that was what I wanted to do. I would get in trouble with my family and teachers for being out late dancing and falling asleep in class because I had been out at competitions and rehearsals. Then I started to win and people in the community saw me on the TV. Then they started to see why I wanted to dance and my school even made me the dance teacher. I still got in trouble for falling asleep in class though!
How would you describe your work to a complete stranger?
At the moment my work draws on my knowledge of traditional African dance, particularly from Ghana and West Africa. I am exploring how I can adapt the movement and transfer it into something that is more contemporary and accessible for an Australian audience. This process is very interesting for me because it reflects the concept of an ancient Adinkra symbol from Ghana called Sankofa. Sankofa teaches before one can move forward, one must look back to the past. I think this makes the movement very rich because it is infused with the traditional movement of our ancestors and at the same time brings it into a modern context. I have been exploring this concept over the past 12 months and am now working on the a show with my company that explores this idea.
What's your background – what did you study to get to where you are?
I trained under my master Omari Oppong and his group Miracle Dancers – a kids youth street dance group when I was a teenager. That was where I learnt freestyle and hip hop. I then gained a position with one of Ghana’s leading dance companies of the time, Agoro. While there I trained in traditional and contemporary African dance techniques. When the company collapsed I along with many of the countries finest dancers and musicians was out of work. It was then that I decided to initiate my own company, Asanti Dance Theatre. We started with nothing and were living and training on the beach. With our talent and dedication the group grew to be one of the countries leading dance companies and is still operating today.
What's the first thing career related you usually do each day?
Check my emails. That’s part of working in the Western culture!
Can you describe an "average" working day for you?
Usually I have a mix of meetings, rehearsals, performances and admin. Each day is different depending on what I am working on and how much work I have on gigs wise.
What's the one thing - piece of equipment, toy, security blanket, – you can't work without?
My musicians. They are essential to my practice. The music is a very important part of the artistic and creative development. The dancer and the musician need to understand each other for the work to reach its potential. I get inspired by music and find if I can’t connect to the sound, its very difficult to create new work. Live music is a large part of traditional dance around the world and I believe that we need to embrace the link that dancers and musicians share.
What gets you fired up?
When people throw themselves into something. As a choreographer I find it inspiring to see dancers give it a go. Seeing them fire up, fires me up.
Who in the industry most inspires you?
I saw Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Babel at the Sydney Festival this year. I loved it. Every moment was inspiring. It was full of moments that resonated with the audience and it had guts. I like choreographers that create movement that speaks to an audience. I really liked Anouk Van Dijk’s new work with Chunky Move. It brought a new feel to contemporary dance in Melbourne and I was inspired to see someone creating something this physically powerful.
What in the industry do you despair about?
As a dancer from a cultural background I have experienced how difficult it is for dancers who arrive here from other nations to settle and navigate the Australian arts scene. I know many talented people who have given up trying to make it here as an artist simply because they didn’t know where to start. I am very thankful to Multicultural Arts Victoria who have helped guide me, and I am fortunate that my partner is a dancer and was able to support me to find my way. I believe that Victoria needs a place where artists from CALD backgrounds can go to access space, mentors and support in navigating the scene here.
What is the best thing about your job?
That I get to do what I love every day.
What’s the most challenging aspect?
Juggling the financial side. I have a family here to support and my family in Ghana are very poor and rely on my to support them. As an artist I don’t have a regular wage and this makes it difficult to meet all the costs of living both here and Ghana.
What are the top three skills you need in this industry?
Innovation, ability to get people to believe in you, determination.
What advice would you give anyone looking to break into your field?
Follow your heart and do whats right for you. But, you also need to know the industry and be prepared to do more then just dance!
How do you know when you missed the mark?
I think there comes a point in every project where you know if you have missed the mark. Infact I think you need to miss the mark before you can reach it. Sometimes you try something and it is terrible but through trying it something else eventuates that is even better then your first idea. Its important not to be too stuck on an idea and allow yourself to just give it a go.
When do you know you’ve made it?
I will let you know when I get there!