Reclaiming the power of the ancestors
'Name us', that is the direct translation of Nom.Nos, a performance in which the performers go in search of their real names. Because that was an abject reality for enslaved people in the colonial past: they took the names of those who had enslaved them.
Choreographer and dancer Gil Gomes Leal – one of the founders of Amenti Collective – has such a name: a Portuguese surname, while his roots lie in Cape Verde and his ancestors were put on ships from Senegal and Mali. In Nom.Nos, Amenti Collective tries to get in touch with the ancestors through the creation myth of the Malian Dogon tribe.
Which pre-colonial histories need to be told? What richness in culture, traditions and rituals can be found in the countries of origin? Ulrike Quade's puppetry breathes life into the 'Nommo', creatures that play an important role in the myths surrounding the origin of the Dogon tribe. By connecting West African myths to our contemporary existence, the performers in Nom.Nos reclaim the power of their ancestors.
| Director | Gil Gomes Leal |
| Choreography | Gil Gomes Leal i.s.m. met dansers |
| Dance | Gil Gomes Leal, Mark Sheats, Angel Gonzalez, Joao M Balde Arias |
| Actor | Romano Haynes |
| Creative Producer | Elia Vitadama |
| Music | Dizzi Geetha |
| Assistent-choreographer | Matilde Tomassini |
| Dolls | Ulrike Quade Company |
| Costumes | Manusama Nuance |
| Light design | Mike den Ottolander |
| Scenographer | Alexandra van den Akker |
| Dramaturg | Jahmani Blackman |
| Coach puppetry | Ulrike Quade |
| Special thanks to | Motel Mozaique and Ulrike Quade Company |
Korzo Zaal