This class offers an opportunity to engage with Bisola Bello’s teaching method ‘Root Meter’ which is based on her experience in improvisation, contemporary and African dance forms over the past ten years. Specifically, Bisola’s teaching method flows from an inquiry into the somatic aspects of the Yoruba dance from Nigeria, Cuba and Brazil, which features vibration, undulation, contraction, and flow.
‘We will use an improvisational approach to guide us through the engagement process of the Yoruba dance. Focusing on the spine and sternum to explore meters, using breath to flow and exploring qualities of flow, undulation and vibration through space and working with traditional Afro and House music to stimulate polyrhythms. ‘
‘Yoruba is an ethnic group from West Africa, mainly in Yorubaland in Nigeria, Beinni and Togo and the diaspora in Cuba, Brazil and other parts in the south and north America as well as the UK..
In the practice of RootMeter, we tap into the 7 chakras which modes and correspond to the directives of the Orisha (Yoruba deities); that assist us in the spiritual awaking of mind and body to develop in West African movement.‘
Bisola Bello is a Nigerian dance artist currently based in London. She is a movement practitioner, teacher and performer, with a BA Contemporary Dance from Northampton University and MA Movement: Directing and Teaching from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She is trained in Contemporary, modern Horton, Afro Cuban, Brazilian, Bata and Acogny West African dance techniques. Bisola has worked with artists and companies including Eliot Smith dance, Anton Mirto, Paul Morris, Utopia Theatre, Kansaze Dance Company, Pascal Merighi & Sebastien Ramirez, Elcid Asaei, This is it theatre among others. She is also part of ID’s Intergenerational Reciprocal Mentoring Scheme with co-mentor ‘Funmi Adewole, which has been supporting her to formulate her movement language.