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166658_148394728552410_147912115267338_292312_6490385_n.jpg Hakeem Onibudo is a choreographer/director, teacher, British Council Ambassador, professional host and Artistic Director of Impact Dance, the critically-acclaimed hip hop theatre company. As they approach their 16th birthday, it’s fair to say that Impact have left their mark on the dance industry, through both the production of innovative street dance performances and their dedication to offering young people creative opportunities. All signals point to a successful 2012 which will see them visit Zimbabwe for a third time (more on that later). What you might not expect to learn is that Onibudo actually graduated with a biological sciences degree, and started a career in social services before immersing himself in the dance industry. How is this all related to a blog about being a dance graduate? You’ll see……..

 

So Hakeem, you didnt actually study dance, what was your pathway into the industry?

 

No, I don’t think you need a degree in dance to prosper in this industry. At least not as far as hip hop is concerned. Some of the biggest pioneers in this country didn’t ‘study’dance, for example Tony Adigun (Avant Garde Dance), Kenrick Sandy (Boy Blue Entertainment).

For me, coming from an African background, emphasis was placed on education and intellect. So, I got my degree in biological sciences and then I worked in social services. I didn’t realise it at the time, but that actually taught me a lot of valuable skills I use today, especially patience.

I decided to start teaching on the side of my full time job, so I set up Xpress Yo’Self at Danceworks. Over time, I realised that during my 9-5, I was dead. Class turned me into a different, much more vibrant person. For this reason, I actively started to work my way out into the dance industry by building up my classes and reputation.

 

Did you have any initial plan or vision for where you wanted your career in the dance industry to go?

 

In the beginning, no. A big turning point came for me in 1998. I left the security of my job and started working as a studio co-ordinator at a gym, which allowed me to have more time to teach. This was followed by a huge step in 1999, when I took a piece to The Earls Court Cosmopolitan Show. Everyone was involved, from parents to kids, and we performed a 45 minute piece, three times a day over an entire weekend. This inspired me to start organising Live Vibe (formerly known as The Spitz, this is a unique, interactive show which provides youth dance groups the opportunity to perform alongside professional dancers in recognised venues. It has been taken to Sadler’s Wells, The Kenneth More Theatre, Hong Kong and now Zimbabwe). It was also around this time I sought out teaching opportunities at Sadler’s Wells, and tried to get involved in different outreach projects.

 

What would you say were the highs and lows of your career so far?

 

The early 2000s were a difficult period. The street dance industry suddenly exploded and everything overtook me. I felt really demoralised, and kept looking at what everyone else was doing. As a result, I regressed. However, it was during this time that I got an unexpected phone call from Kate Flatt (fellow choreographer and friend) explaining that The Pet Shop Boys needed a choreographer for their world tour. They wanted to work with a street dancer who went against the grain of standard ‘Usher choreography.’I’m quite contemporary in my style so she suggested that I go for it. I did and I got it. As much as this was a great boost for my confidence, I still felt as if I was in a slumber and sensed that some people wondered why I had got that job. These feelings dragged into another production I choreographed, an English National Opera show in 2006. It wasn’t until a great colleague, Es Devlin (award-winning designer who worked on The Pet Shop Boys tour and will be designing the Olympics closing ceremony) told me shortly after this project: ‘you’re not just a choreographer, you’re a director.’That really struck a chord with me and from that point on, I knew exactly where I wanted to go.

 

Another key turning point for me was being selected as a British Council Ambassador, Cultural Leadership International in 2009. Nadine Owen was my link and mentor for this award which recognises and supports three people from England who are making a difference to their communities, and could continue to make a difference globally. This was an amazing stamp of approval that proved what I was doing was good. I think everybody craves that kind of recognition and I was really excited to be a part of it. Through this I have been able to travel to San Francisco, Morocco, Tunisia and now, I have been sent to Zimbabwe.

 

Yes, tell me about Impacts project in Zimbabwe.

 

Well, we went out in April to do a reccy of the culture, the dancers and street dance’s standing there. We hadn’t originally gone out with the intention of performing but as HIFA ( Harare International Festival of the Arts) was on at the time, we used this opportunity to create a new piece, Hip Hop Is In Me, a semi-autobiographical piece which explores four parts of my character, using four dancers (Tommy Franzén, Stefanie Freeman, Duwane Taylor and Botis Seva).

 

I returned in August and auditioned fifteen crews to be a part of Live Vibe. Six out of the fifteen were successful and they now have five or six months to create a piece with the help of local mentors. We will be returning in February for the show, and we’ve decided that the theme is going to be ‘The Smoke that Thunders’as this is the locals’name for the Victoria Falls. Kenrick will also be joining us to audition dancers to create a new piece with, especially for this showcase. I’m also hoping to take four to six young dancers (funding permitting) as I think a cross-culture exchange would be a really beneficial addition to this project.

 

That sounds really exciting. Final question: Anything you wished youd known about the industry before you started?

 

I used to totally freeze when I was working with who I deemed to be ‘superior’dancers. I didn’t feel that my technique was good enough to be in a room with them and I would constantly wonder ‘what must they be thinking of me?!’However, soon I realised that everyone has a role in creation and that creating something is a conversation. It’s about using what you have in front of you, and knowing how far someone can take something. This realisation completely altered my perspective and I can now teach at places such as The Royal Ballet School. (Hakeem and Impact Dance workshops have become a regular feature of their annual Summer School). I love utilising their technique to create what I want. As soon as I got rid of that barrier, I realised I could go anywhere.

 

Thanks Hakeem.

 

Hakeem and Impact Dance’s success is evidently due to a range of skills and knowledge that you can’t necessarily get from being in a classroom, but from going out and experiencing this industry first-hand. Does that mean I think my degree is invalid? Definitely not. I’m extremely grateful for the tools my time at university equipped me with and maybe more importantly, the time and space it gave me to develop and think about how I want to make my contribution to dance. Similarly, that’s not to say that because I’ve graduated, the learning stops. Hakeem’s story is testament to the fact that the challenging times in your career can often teach you more than an essay writing exercise and that above all, anyone wishing to flourish needs to have tenacity and a thirst for using their talent to benefit a variety of people.

 

For more information on Impact Dance go to: www.impactdance.co.uk