Didę by Compagnie Multicorps, a celebration of body and spirit in tribute to Ìyá Nlá, the Yoruba deity of creation, deities, and all of life, was performed last weekend. Ìyá Nlá is the great mother, and didę means "rise up." I have attended many dance performances in Chicago, but Didę was different from the moment we entered the space at Columbia College Dance Center. The program was choreographed by Marcel Gbeffa from Benin, with direction and wood masks designed by Sarah Trouche from France
Everything about the evening had a sacred gravitas, including the way the audience was asked to enter the performance space. We were put in a single line and directed upstage behind the dance floor. We filed past a gorgeous white backdrop lit with a blue color gel. It looked like a surreal Spanish moss. Four of the dancers stood on the stage in silence, not making eye contact, and a single Gelede mask hung from the rafters as an homage to Ìyá Nlá. As we took our seats, it occurred to me that our entrance was done as a sign of respect, and this was more than just a performance.
I am a Black American descended from ten African countries and subethnic groups, including the Yoruba, Benin, and Senegal. I have always considered Africa as a place that holds the physical and spiritual DNA of all humankind. In my family, Africa has always been referred to as the Motherland and the Continent. The Gelede masks are in honor of women, and festivals in Benin and other countries can last several days.
Didę showed the roots of capoeira in its fluidity, with dancers physically connected in circles or carrying one another. After the opening movements, a fifth dancer entered wearing one of the masks that would be displayed in the performance. A shirt covered his face, and the mask representing the Mother deity remained on his head. In some traditions, such as Voudun, participants are overtaken by the deity, who uses them as a horse in a form of possession. Some of the same elements were in Didę. The singular mask is set spinning as each dancer catches it while it continues to spin. The four dancers fell under a spell. They were repeatedly knocked down and finally lined up on the floor, submitting to the will of the deity. One of the dancers spun in a circle as if in a trance, like a Sufi whirling dervish. He became like the single mask suspended from the ceiling.
After allowing themselves to be subsumed by the goddess, the dancers retrieved 20 additional masks and placed them around the stage. It appeared that each of them represented the deity differently because Ìyá Nlá can take many forms as the mother of creation and all life. The performance ended with each dancer standing on the masks. These masks are made from Ìrókò, which is a hardwood from the tropical coast of Africa. It is known for its strength, and perhaps because of the longevity of the trees, it is considered sacred. I was spellbound as they stood perfectly still on the masks, their bodies anointed with sweat.
The technical aspects created the ambiance of a spiritual gathering. Ivan Matis's lighting design painted the scenery and the dancers with hues that seemed to etch the dancers' muscles. It gave the backdrop a brilliance, almost like an old-school black light poster. Shivakao's costumes were deceptively simple. They looked like everyday casual attire, but they also accentuated the movements and the body forms. The hypnotic and sensuous music was composed by Viktor Benev. Choreographer Marcel Gbeffa performed his creation with Orphée Georgah Ahéhéhinnou, Bonaventure Sossou, Yetchennou Horace, and Joseph Gbeffa.
The dancers briefly bowed and left the stage. They did not return for bows and adulation. As I said earlier, this was a sacred ritual, performed as a work of art. The audience was clapping and shouting at a stage filled with masks. Perhaps it was meant that we give that adulation and applause to Ìyá Nlá. I do not know for sure, but it was a dazzling performance that also felt like a blessing.
I highly recommend attending a performance by Compagnie Multicorps, particularly Didę, if it returns to Chicago. Didę is a part of the Columbia College Dance Center's Season 52 Movement + Movement. These are unique performances from dance ensembles with social commentary and unabashed spiritual and emotional content. Didę is in my top five favorites of the dance season.
Compagnie Multicorps' Didę was performed on Friday, April 24, at the Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 South Michigan Ave. Please visit dance.colum.edu and https://multicorps.org/ for more information.
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