Yinka Esi Graves
+ More info- Concerts
- Live performance
- Le Grand Sud, Lille
- Pass Latitudes
- 1h
The disappearing act
Dancing to fight against being erased: with The Disappearing Act, Yinka Esi Graves explores the deep roots of flamenco, closing this edition of the festival with a unique piece, powerful and flamboyant.
For her first solo creation, Yinka Esi Graves explores how History, its representations and perspectives shape the presence of bodies onstage – as well as their absence. Born in London of Ghanaian and Jamaican parents, she chose flamenco as her expression, a “vital choice” for her body. This choice brought her to Sevilla with the avowed intent to bring to light the African roots of the dance form. Accompanied by three musicians, the choreographer pulls elements of her own journey, inspired in part by the historical figure of Miss Lala, a 19th century Black circus artist, examining the cultural erasure of Black bodies throughout European culture. As her content includes the intangibles of absence and invisibility, Yinka Esi Graves transforms the sage into a hybrid concert-celebration combining Spanish, British and Ghanaian influences.
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Avec le soutien des Lieux Culturels Pluridisciplinaires de la ville de Lille.
Biography(s)
YINKA ESI GRAVES
Yinka Esi Graves is a British dance maker and flamenco artist. Her work excavates the links between flamenco and contemporary forms rooted in the African diaspora.
With a long career in flamenco, she studied at the Amor de Dios dance school in Madrid and later in Seville with artists such as La Lupi, Andrés Marín, Yolanda Heredia and Juana Amaya. As a flamenco dancer she has accompanied renowned artists such as Remedios Amaya and Concha Buika. Graves’ more recent work with dance makers and thinkers Nora Chipaumire and Dr Ama Wray have helped further define her work spanning from stage pieces to in situ site specific work, as a solo artist and collaborator.
Yinka’s co-creation, Clay (2016), with choreographer Asha Thomas marked the beginning of a more investigative and experimental approach to her creation. Yinka also draws from her collaborations in productions such as Cuerpos Celestes and Origen by Cia Marco Vargas y Chloé Brûlé and Mailles by Dorothée Munyaneza, with whom she’s toured to festivals internationally.
Yinka has also participated in film projects, including Miguel Angel Rosales’ award-winning documentary Gurumbé: Canciones de tu Memoria Negra (2016), the first Spanish film to highlight the influence of the African population on Spanish culture. She also appears in Baff Akoto’s moving image piece ‘Leaving the Edges’ and in the film ‘Nueve Sevillas’ by Pedro G Romero and Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo.
Graves’ first solo work, The Disappearing Act, premiered at the Nimes Flamenco Festival (France 2023) and has subsequently toured to international festivals such as El Grec, La Batie, FIT de Cadiz, Albuquerque Flamenco Festival, Tanz Im August Festival and Avignon Festival amongst others. This piece is the culmination of Yinka’s multidisciplinary exploration of invisibility and erasure as it pertains to the black experience. As part of the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla 2022, Yinka presented The Disappearing Act: On Erasure, an illustrated lecture based on the theoretical corpus of the stage piece.
In 2026, she presented ‘A Place To Dance’ at the Teatro Central in Seville and the Mercat de Les Flors in Barcelona, in collaboration with Madrid-based Brazilian dancer and choreographer Poliana Lima. The production affirms the potential of dance to transform any place into a dance space, a place where one feels a sense of belonging.
That same year, Graves began developing her next stage project, which addresses the
concepts of subversion and catharsis, with its premiere scheduled for 2027.
In parallel with his stage shows, Yinka enjoys working in non-stage venues. Her latest creation in this context, in collaboration with Remi Graves on drums, is entitled ‘Carmen takes a break’ and explores the multiple personalities of the legendary character Carmen.
RAUL CANTIZANO
Unclassifiable and unique guitarist, an explorer of the limits of the instrument and genres.
He has accompanied and formed part of the most innovative flamenco projects of the 21st century. Working with Niño de Elche, Rocío Márquez and Andrés Marín amongst many leading flamenco artists.
His latest work Zona Acordonada, an audio-visual concert for the ‘prepared flamenco guitar’ together with Los Voluble, premiered at the XXI Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla, and has been presented at numerous festivals across Spain.
DONNA THOMPSON
Donna Thompson is a multi-instrumentalist based in London. Drumming and singing being her main passion, Donna has lent her skills to stalwarts across the music industry which has led to her own artistry being recognised internationally. Donna seamlessly blends contemporary Jazz improvisation, Afro-centric rhythms and Indie-soul inspired influences which has led to an exciting and compelling career for over 10 years.
ROSA DE ALGECIRAS
Born in Algeciras (Cádiz) into a family with strong flamenco roots. Rosa has been a regular collaborator in the famous Tablao Los Gallos (Seville) and has formed part of various companies, such as the Orquesta Andalusí Chekara, Varuma Teatro and Salvador Távora’s company La Cuadra, among others. Within her formal education, she has a teaching diploma and a Professional Degree in Flamenco Singing from the Conservatorio Superior de Música Cristóbal de Morales, in Seville.
Credits
Concept and staging Yinka Esi Graves
Choreography, dance and interpretation Yinka Esi Graves
Musical direction and guitar Raúl Cantizano
Drums Donna Thompson
Texts Yinka Esi Graves et Remi Graves
Singer Rosa de Algeciras
LightsCarmen Mori
Cinematography Miguel Ángel Rosales
Costumes Stephanie Coudert / Roberto Martinez
Sound engineering Enrique Gonzalez
Light and vidéo engineering Carmen Mori
Production María González / Trans-Forma Production Culturelle
THE DISAPPEARING ACT est is a co-production :
Arts Council England, Africa Moment, Horizon: Performance created in England, Théâtre de Nîmes – Festival de Flamenco, Ayuntamiento de Barcelona – GREC, Centro Servicios Culturales Santa Chiara – Trento / Trentino – Alto Adige Südtirol Dance Circuit
Residencies :
Factoría Cultural- Instituto de Cultura y las Artes – Sevilla, Dance4 – Notthingham, Centro de Creación y Artes Vivas El Graner en Africa Moment’2 – Barcelona, Festival Flamenco – Nîmes, Bienal de Flamenco – Sevilla, Teatro de la Maestranza – Sevilla
