Vagabundus | Dansehallerne

Vagabundus is a performance in which 13 performers constantly dance and sing a musical repertoire traditional and contemporary Mozambican, on the basis of gospel and baroque motifs.

Mozambican choreographer Idio Chichava shows migration through the prism of the body. Often considered voluntary or forced, it is an invisible wave, a human flow. The migrant is the nomad of today, the settler, the discoverer, but also the wanderer.

To construct the choreography, he draws inspiration from the dance ritual of the Makonde people in Mozambique, who through the fusion of dance and song supports the expression of a global body. According to Chichava, only the body that dances and sings simultaneously can fully express itself and exist in synergy with others. The choreographer considers this global body as a forgotten natural human condition.

The explosive impact of dance and voices does not need sets, elaborate costumes or lighting effects to touch the audience.

Credits:

Company – Converge+ Concept and Choreography – Idio Chichava.
Assistance and Rehearsal Direction – Osvaldo Passirivo.
Performance: Açucena Chemane, Arminda Teimizira, Calton Muholove, Cristina Matola, Fernando Machaieie, Judite Novela, Mauro Sigauque, Martins Tuvanji, Nilégio Cossa, Osvaldo Passirivo, Patrick Manuel Sitoe, Stela Matsombe, Vasco Sitoe.
Lightining – Phayra Baloi.
Tour Management – Silvana Pombal.
Production – Yodine Produções.
Partnership: Companhia Nacional de Canto e Dança (CNCD) KINANI – Plataforma Internacional de Dança ContemporâneaOne Dance

Idio Chichava is a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director of Converge+ Dance Company from Mozambique. After a successful career in France, he returned to his home country and began working actively to promote creative exchange, free dance education for local communities, and the presentation of performances in public spaces. His focus includes multidisciplinary productions and creative collaborations so that everyone has a space to explore their inner world and coexist with others. Chichava is assistant curator of the multidisciplinary platform KINANI and was curator of Dance Week 2022. He is also one of the two producers of the Raíz Traditional Music Festival in Maputo. His individual projects include Veridicidade, Xithukulumukumba, Xiquelene, Inkino, Intolerance, Sentido Único, and Yellow Fat Chaos!, as well as performances in public spaces, museums, galleries, and more. He was a member of Culturarte, the first contemporary dance company in Mozambique. As a dancer and choreographer, he has collaborated with a number of artists, including Panaibra Gabriel, Horacio Macuacua, Cristina Moura, Thomas Hauert, David Zambrano, Frank Micheletti, Boyzie Cekwana, Qudus Onikeku, Marcel Gbefa, Djodjo Kasadi, Faustin Lienkula, and others. He has participated in artist residencies and tours in more than 30 countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Awarded the French State Diploma, Chichava lives between Mozambique and France, where he has collaborated on the choreographic work of the French company Kubilai Khan Investigations since 2005.