OYO grabs audience at Glasgow festival

The high-profile dancing group from Namibia, the OYO dance troupe, was the only troupe from Africa selected to take part in the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival, in Glasgow. This festival recently brought together 36 youth dance companies from around the Commonwealth for three days of meeting, workshopping, sharing ideas and exchanging edgy moves.
Philippe Talavera, choreographer of the OYO dance troupe said that when they arrived in Glasgow nobody knew about the OYO dance troupe and very few knew about Namibia, but by the time they left, Namibia was on the map and everybody knew about them. OYO presented ‘24 years’, a new piece choreographed by Talavera.

“The piece was extremely well-received, it was political, physical and in your face, with lots of lifts and some fast movements” he said. “People where very impressed and we now have amazing connections in the dance fraternity” emphasised Talavera. He added that being part of the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival and being the only African representative was the best opportunity imaginable. He said they would like to thank their sponsors, the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture (Directorate of Arts) , the National Arts Council of Namibia, UNICEF and the FNB Foundation. “We would also like to thank the City of Windhoek and the German Embassy for their support and the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival, without whom this journey would not have been possible, and now many companies are interested to work with us and discover our beautiful country” concluded Talavera. The OYO dance troupe also stopped over at the Dance Base in Edinburgh, moving from there to London where they attended a dance workshop with Akram Khan Dance Company, one of the world’s leading dance companies.