African Perspectives: Nadéeya GK / Carmel Loanga / Addy Daniel

OBA Theater Amsterdam and hip-hop dance festival Summer Dance Forever present African Perspectives, a programme of three powerful and personal solo works rooted in the African diaspora and contemporary African experience. In “SAWATA”, Nadéeya GK dives into the water communities of Cameroon, fusing traditional dance with the fluidity of House Dance.  In “The Mother Effect”, Carmel Loanga explores motherhood through her lens as an African woman from Gabon. In “The Elephant in the Room”, Addy Daniel creates a dance work rooted in African Krump, that confronts the unspoken tensions shaping the African continent. Nadéeya GK: SAWATA Born in Cameroon, Nadéeya GK (Cie. aKôT) is a leading figure in the global House Dance scene and a member of the female collective Paradox-Sal. With her first solo “SAWATA”, she invites audiences into an immersive choreographic journey inspired by the water rituals of the Sawa people. Particularly the Ngondo ceremony, in which an initiate dives into the river’s depths to commune with ancestors and return with a message. Through this powerful metaphor, “SAWATA” unfolds as a rite of passage, opening a space where loss becomes transition and crossing becomes a possibility for renewal. At the intersection of House dance, pan-African danced heritages, and the Acogny Technique, Nadéeya GK develops a physical and organic movement language where ancestral gestures and hip-hop physicality enter into dialogue. “SAWATA” transforms absence into inner presence; a danced tribute to the memories that move through us and the life that endures. Carmel Loanga: The Mother Effect After “Drunkenness of Fireflies”, Carmel Loanga returns to Theater Forever with an intimate solo shaped by her experience as an African mother. The piece emerges from a need for transmission: to tell the stories of mothers; past, present, and future.  Born in Gabon, she explores memory, lineage, and identity through a powerful physical language, paying tribute to Black Women: their struggles, their creative power and their often unseen legacies. At the center stands an androgynous figure, both rooted and uprooted, like a tree marked by exile, loss, and motherhood. Blurring masculine and feminine, the body becomes a site of transmission, carrying the stories of Black women across generations. “The Mother Effect” is a tribute to what endures: a space where memory, resilience, and rebirth take form. Addy Daniel: The elephant in the room From the creator of the short film Afrobug, Addy Daniel presents a bold performance rooted in African Krump. Rooted in personal migration experiences, this piece follows a young dancer on his journey to an international battle, laying bare the lasting impact of post-colonialism and blurring the line between dance and theatre. Through African Krump as a movement language, intensity and conflict are transformed into expression, reflection, and release. It reimagines how the body can carry history while also creating new pathways forward. The work invites audiences to face what is often avoided, and to consider how art can open space for awareness, healing, and connection across Africa. Watch the teaser here.