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    Columbus Makes Art Presents Momar Ndiaye on Artists as Activists


    “I fell in love with Columbus as soon as I arrived. All of the signs were telling me that this was going to be home.”

    — Momar Ndiaye, Choreographer

    Momar Ndiaye is one of the choreographers highlighted in the 2023 OhioDance Festival concert during the festival weekend, Apr. 28-30, 2023. We chatted with him about his career and how he got involved in dance.

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    Jane: Momar, you are an international performer, choreographer, teacher and videographer from Senegal. What brought you to Columbus, Ohio?
    Momar: In 2012, I came to the U.S. to study at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and there received my MFA in dance with a focus on African studies. In 2018, I came to Columbus as a visiting artist for Ohio Wesleyan and Denison. I am now an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University Department of Dance. I fell in love with Columbus as soon as I arrived. All of the signs were telling me that this was going to be home.

    Jane: Can you tell us how you got involved in dance?
    Momar: I am from Senegal. When I saw Michael Jackson dance to his song “Bad” in 1986, it was then that I said I want to be a dancer; I was nine. My friends and I would all be in one room, watch VHS tapes, learn the steps and document ourselves. Our group went on to perform at the national dance competition, which was televised. Twenty-five dance companies competed nationally, and we were always part of the top five. I learned many international dances there.

    I was still in school at the time, because in Senegal, it was problematic to practice dance if you are not from the caste of the “Gueweul” (griot). My degree is in quantitative techniques of management. In 2003, I started my professional dance company, making music videos for singers as well as staged dance, and joined the international dance company 1er Temps in 2008.

    Photo credit Momar Ndiaye

    Jane: Your research focuses on the effects of Negritude, interculturalism, globalization and colonialism on the “performance of daily life” in Senegal and Africa at large. Can you tell us something about how you incorporate this into your performance and video work?
    Momar: In Africa, we have a lot of countries, different ethnic groups with diverse characteristics. There is a space where Africans have commonalities, which is colonialism. We talk about colonialism, that existed for hundreds of years, even when we say independent states, what does it actually mean? The main objective was to whiten the mind of the Black. For the African to exist they had to be white. They had to adopt European codes. And then we come to say globalization, which is aiming to find the form of integration, cultural and economic integration. We are in a space that’s really fragile and always redefining. So that’s where my research is residing.

    Some of the African dances and practices are disappearing. One aspect of my research is to find the oldest version of particular dances that are disappearing, recontextualize them, and offer the true meaning of those dances. One way is video and audio documentation, and embodiment. I use dance to communicate and offer people a possibility to look at certain issues.

    Photo credit Momar Ndiaye

    Jane: Who has guided you, and where do you find impetus to create?
    Momar: I trained for three years in Senegal, and the program was called Atelier AEx Corps. I trained with over 30 different choreographers, from all over the world. I have worked with choreographers who are at the same time activists, such as: Andreya Ouamba, Faustin Linyekula, Germaine Acogny and Serge Aimé Coulibaly.

    My piece that will be performed at the festival is about access to water. I want everybody to ask themselves the question: “What is my role inside of this crisis?” We don’t think about pollution as part of the crisis of water supply in Africa. I work from true facts, and then make a choreographic work about it.

    Jane: What is the best thing about the Columbus art scene?
    Momar: There’s always something going on in Columbus, whether it’s dance, theater, the performing arts. I like that vibrance. The important part is there’s action happening here.

    The 2023 OhioDance Festival, Apr. 28-30, 2023, is an annual statewide celebration of dance through performances, films, demonstrations and discussions. Check out the schedule at ohiodance.org/festival/schedule. Learn more about Momar Ndiaye at momarkndiaye.com.

    Columbus Makes Art Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting and advancing the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. The column is a project of the Art Makes Columbus campaign, telling the inspiring stories of the people and organizations who create Columbus art. Learn more about local artists, organizations, public art and events at ColumbusMakesArt.com.

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    Jane D’Angelo
    Jane D’Angelohttps://ohiodance.org/
    Jane D’Angelo has served as the OhioDance Executive Director since 2003. She has an extensive background in dance and dance education, both performing and teaching dance to children and adults throughout the Boston area. You can contact Jane at [email protected].
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