Iberu: A thought provoking dance on the realities of human deepest fear

Iberu, a Yoruba word for ‘fear’ may be very strange to many, since it is not in any English dictionary. It is one of those things that affect and control many lives in their daily struggle for existence and survival.

While fear could come in different forms, according to Oxford Dictionary, it means an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm.

But to these two dance artists, Sunday Israel Akpan (Nigeria) and Lola Mino (France), Iberu is beyond the surface meaning and interpretation.

According to Akpan, the creator of the dance concept, Iberu, a project in progress in Senegal and France is a 40 minutes thought provoking dance piece on the realities of human deepest fear, the fear of the unknown.

Iberu, as conceptualized by Akpan, raises questions about what we fear most and how to confront such with hope.

While dwelling on the language of the contemporary dance, Iberu is in romance with the traditional African dance form. Taking components from the traditional and modern African dance techniques and cuddling them within the context of its creation.

Iberu is influenced by the rhythm of Bata dance from South-West Nigeria, combined with other techniques which came to being through research and experimentation.

Iberu, a combination of music and dance is a unique, stylish and in-depth body movement that touches all facets of human lives such as belief, culture, relationship, family etc.

The dance, a collaboration between an African and an European is a project in pursuit of a policy that will reveal stories around Africans/Europeans dancers’ daily struggle to find ways of breaking through hurdles that limit their artistic creativity.

The dance begins with a male voice sorrowful chant, followed by a spotlight on his hands. At a time, the music and the dance will concord.

This captivating, stylish and uncommon performance seeks to balance dance, abstraction and poetry with character, gesture and drama.

Preparation is under way for a tour of the project all around Europe and Africa.