The show follows the five acts of the novel in trying to keep alive any existing bond with native countries during the painful African diaspora in the Americas.
Sankofa Danzafro works all around Colombia with charity projects in favour of Afro-Colombian people, from urban dance workshops for youths to educational initiatives that promote cultural change. Their powerful aesthetics blends with a strongly political approach in a new form of art struggle against racism and inequality. Their dance is full of rhythm, irresistible, diverse, and especially, it is meaningful.

In your company’s website, there’s a note on the name Sankofa meaning ‘back to one’s roots’, a nod to an African philosophy that invites us to get to know the past to understand the present and imagine the future. How can this philosophy translate into your choreography and your projects? And why is your slogan “Bailamos, más que para ser vistos, ¡para ser escuchados!”?
It means to rely on previous knowledge inherited by past generations to be able to know one’s own history, those political and spiritual contexts, and the struggles of existence and resistance that those who are now our ancestors had to face. This allows us to understand the reason for the current situation in which we live, what oppressions still limit us and what battles we have won to be able to plan better futures for our community, including the world around us.
Dancing to be heard refers to having the right to express a self-referential voice that is capable, through dance, of demanding cognitive justice and social equity. We demand a listening that goes beyond form and that can break the stereotypes of exoticism and eroticism that are inflicted on racialized black bodies when dancing, so that the narrative of the body, the body writing those dances, is read and heard without translation but with our own political discourse that demands justice and reparation.

Behind the South: Dances for Manuel is an homage to Manuel Zapata Olivella and his most famous work, Changó, el gran putas, for whom the author coined the expression ‘mythological realism’. Where does this piece fit into your journey, and how was the show developed?
For us, drawing inspiration from Afro-centered knowledge is crucial – it allows us to cherish and honor our roots and identity. In celebration of Zapata Olivella’s birth, we chose to dance in his honor, creating a performance inspired by his writings that unveil the genesis of the African diaspora in the Americas and the emancipatory processes aided by the Orishas. This performance also embodies the courage of the Muntu, reminding us that unity and collective well-being are the paths to resolution.
The inspiration for our work stemmed primarily from engaging deeply with Olivella’s book, but it was also influenced by the personal lives of each artist in our company. We explored how the epic narratives of Manuel’s story resonated with our own personal, family, and community experiences, seeking personal and collective ways to interpret these stories on stage.

We demand a listening that goes beyond form and that can break the stereotypes of exoticism and eroticism that are inflicted on racialized black bodies when dancing

What is the Muntu vital trace that Behind the South wants us to reflect on? Can you better explain this concept to your Italian audience?
According to the curse of Changó, the Muntu will achieve emancipation and freedom only through collective effort and communal strategies to combat oppression. It emphasizes the importance of an individual who considers not just their own well-being, but also that of others –a true embodiment of the Muntu spirit. This philosophy from the Global South offers a crucial message for the world: it calls us to work towards reclaiming a sense of humanity that increasingly appears to be fading. This is a profound principle that deserves global attention and understanding, urging us to unite and foster a world where communal welfare and liberation are at the forefront.

You studied with Germaine Acogny, a great artist whom we interviewed when she was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Dance Biennale. What will we see of Acogny’s teachings in what you do?
Mama Germaine was the pivotal figure who introduced me to Afro-contemporary dance. I first met her in Bogotá and was so inspired that I followed her to Toulouse to participate in her summer workshop. From there, she directed me to Irene Tassembedo, who became my primary instructor. Both of these mentors imparted not just their dance techniques but also the deep philosophy underlying traditional and contemporary African dance. This education has empowered me to return to Colombia and develop my own interpretation of African-based dance that honors our historical and cultural context without severing the vital connection to our African roots. Having Mama Germaine as the root of my inspiration, I hope to showcase to the audience the diversity and dignity inherent in Afrodiasporic dance. This is just one of the many rich black epistemologies that enrich our global understanding, offering a unique and profound perspective on dance and cultural identity.

For us, drawing inspiration from Afro-centered knowledge is crucial – it allows us to cherish and honor our roots and identity

La ciudad de los otros, La mentira complaciente, Fecha límite, and now your current work. Your production seems to display and feature current issues and events: ethnic-based discrimination, social inequalities, racism, de-colonialism, diaspora, resistance of Afro-descended culture… What social context do you confront with in Medellín, and what are your goals you pursue as a Company in such community projects as SankofaMiUniversidad?
For us, dance – an art form we dedicate ourselves to – inevitably reflects life and the specific challenges we face as racialized individuals in Medellín and Colombia. Here, being part of a minority involves a constant struggle to access spaces that are often denied to us and dealing with scant political representation within the legal and state organizations. This reality underscores the importance of being heard through the dance forms we inherit and preserve. Through our dance, we enact social agency, demanding the necessary changes and transformations that will afford us equal rights and opportunities for social and cultural development based on our own perspectives.
SankofaMiUniversidad is an educational initiative born from the need to honor and elevate our knowledge, asserting its rightful place in society and academia. It serves as a reminder that we are not mere objects of study but active subjects of knowledge and rights. Our ongoing engagement with the communities we represent ensures that the concept and essence of Sankofa are not only preserved but also imbued with meaning and influence in our artistic endeavors, helping us to maintain and extend our cultural heritage.