About the project:
Anansi’s Web - Entanglements without Tripping, an artistic research fellowship project led by Thomas Talawa Prestø, delves into the intricate weaving of African Diaspora practices and praxis. This exploration uses several conceptual tools to examine how performance can catalyze personal, social, and communal transformation. At its core is ChoreoNommo, a praxis grounded in the African concept of Nommo, which emphasizes the power of words and gestures to create tangible change.
ChoreoWanga addresses the architectural and structural aspects of performances, focusing on how these elements can hold and transmit transformative energy (Ashé). PerformancePwen focuses on the energetic effects performances have on communities, highlighting the reciprocal relationship between performer and audience. The Talawa Technique™ emphasizes a holistic and culturally rooted approach to dance, and Committography underscores the importance of strategic involvement in arts organizations and policy-making bodies to influence systemic change.
The project culminates in two major works: Jazz Ain’t Nothing, an interdisciplinary dance performance incorporating song, dance, music, and visual elements, and That Voudou That We Do, a performative lecture. Both works are accompanied by the Cognoscape, a new writing methodology developed by Prestø. The Cognoscape provides a non-chronological onboarding into the artist’s knowledge scape, offering insights into the artist's praxis, beliefs, and reflections. It serves as a self-referential tool that captures the culmination of practice and experience, focusing on how knowledge manifests rather than attributing ownership to an individual author.
Link to reflection: https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/3102309/3102310
Thomas Prestø is a well known choreographer, Artistic Director of Tabanka Dance Ensemble and the developer of the Talawa Technique. He is a research fellow at Østfold University College, currently pursuing a decolonial doctorate called Anansis Web. Thomas has led committees across Nordic countries, taught in over 30 countries and is a respected contributor in the field of African and African diaspora dance. His pioneering work in translating traditional, spiritual, and social dance practices into artistic work for the stage has helped expand the reach of these practices while maintaining cultural integrity.