Tony Adigun’s company Avant Garde pushes the boundaries of hip hop and contemporary dance. He tells Shrabasti Mallik that he draws inspirationfrom fashion, art, photography and films
Avant Garde’s choreography spans a range of styles and emotions, bringing to life a new way to listen to dance and watch music. Sounds weirdIJ Well, you can experience it while the group will be here to offer the audience a taste of their dancing style. They will be performing at The Park on November 10. “In creating the true clubbing experience, audiences will receive a link to listen to The Black Album club mix, which will offer a digital aspect to a live show,” explains Tony, founder of the company.
If one looks up the dictionary, avant garde means a group of people who develop new and often very surprising ideas. And Tony Adguin does not look at his group any differently — his UK-based dance company Avant Garde pushes the boundaries of hip hop and contemporary dance. Tony explains, “Our dynamic performances have music at their core and explore a myriad of styles, themes and media. We are committed to producing artistic work that is entertaining and challenging.” Their mantra ‘innovate never replicate’ is evident throughout their portfolio of work. Formed in 2001, the company was Tony’s creative release from the world of commercial dance which he was working on. The idea led to a worldwide hunt for like-minded dancers who were willing to explore more unusual, abstract and artistic ideas which were far from the mainstream.
The unique quality about his group is that all its crew members are trained in either hip-hop or in the contemporary genre. Once they join the company after a preliminary round of audition, they are trained in Avant Garde’s signature style, which fuses both. Tony explains, “I look specifically for their skill in music and creative expression because I believe that is the unifying quality that a dancer from either background needs, to be part of the company. Before we start a production all new members undergo a month of training in company vocabulary.” He points out that three of the dancers, who will be performing in the forthcoming Park festival were trained in the company for over three years.
The festival will also see other pieces of choreography from the group, apart from The Black Album which is built around the idea of a concept album, where three distinct choreographies are seamlessly woven together. Tony shares, “Set in what could either be a club, bedroom or one’s imagination, we will take the audience on a soulful journey from Jazzanova, Mozart and Woodkid to Trentemoller, James Blake and Beethhoven.” A Classical Break will present a humorous and cheeky partnership between break dance and the music of Beethoven, Mozart and Prokofiev. The detailed choreography will accentuate the orchestral score, resulting in a number of magical and musical moments. In Omega, five dancers and five columns of light will improvise and respond to experimental music by DJ Jazzanova. Dark Matter is abstract and visually captivating. It will unleash the inner darkness of eight powerful dancers who will be prowling the perimeter of the stage and play amongst the shadows. “They will make you see the music you cannot hear,” he adds.
The company’s ensemble crew consists of five original Avant Garde company dancers, including Tony and they have brought in three highly skilled dancers — Caramel Soldier (UK’s legendary House dancer), UK break dance champions Gavin ‘Hawk’ Vincent and lee ‘Reckless’ Crowley. The show will be accompanied by a live DJ — Tokyo Touch and include audio-visuals by london collective, Alto Grye. He adds, “Aesthetics and style are fundamental to our work and we are working with the UK’s best stylist Ayishat Akanbi. Akanbi, aka the garment composer, has previously worked with lables like JlS, labrinth and laura Mvula.”
Although they use hip-hop at their core they deliver it in a contemporary package. The movement is raw, honest and powerful, theatrical, abstract and it focusses on music. “We are constantly playing with styles and genres and have developed a unique approach to what we produce. We strive to create fresh and exciting work that moves forward. We embrace new concepts, challenge conventions and break boundaries. We are open to all styles of movement,” Tony says.
A creative director and educator himself, Tony believes that it is music that serves as his only inspiration. The fact that he is always listening to music spanning multiple genres, cultures and sounds only adds to his creativity. He says, “I usually work with beats, finding the music and quality of the sound, which then forms the choreography. I am also majorly influenced by fashion, art, photography and film.” The list doesn’t end there. He looks up to several other artistes for their unique qualities. He admires Robert Glasper (hip hop jazz pianist) for his experimentation with rhythm and texture, James Thiérrée (circus performer, actor/musician) for his range and talent, Gecko Theatre Company (physical theatre) for their ambitious and imaginative cross art-form productions and Alex Ferguson (football manager) for his leadership qualities.
The company is currently working on a large-scale production for UK, an international tour in 2016 and a range of commissions.
“I am committed to teaching and supporting emerging dancers and choreographers and will continue delivering workshops and education programmes to support the growth of fresh talent in the industry,” he rounds off.