Graduate Student Spotlight: Dance Dynamo Josh Ikechukwa is on a Mission

A native of Delta State, Nigeria, second year MFA student Joshua Ikechukwu is a dynamic and driven dancer, choreographer, playwright, director, and producer. Trained in African dance, Latin ballroom, Contemporary, Afro-pop, and Hip-hop dance, Joshua received his BA in Theatre Art from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria with a specialization in Choreography and Directing, graduating in 2015.

With a population of over 230 million, Nigeria is the most populous country and largest economy in Africa. The nation gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, and became a federal republic modeled after the United States after decades of civil war and military dictatorship. Nigeria is home to more than 250 ethnic groups speaking 500 languages, but its official language is English, chosen to encourage linguistic unity.

The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa in the north, Yoruba in the west, and Igbo in the east. “I was born in Benin City in the south of Nigeria,” Ikechukwu said. “I was there for nine years before moving to Ibadan in the west, where I lived until I came to the United States.” Ibadan is the most populous city of Oyo State, with almost 4 million people. “But originally, I am an Igbo man (from eastern Nigeria)!”

During his time at UB and in Buffalo, Josh has choreographed several new dance and drum ensemble pieces for Theatre and Dance’s (THD) resident pre-professional dance company Zodiaque, as well as for the annual MFA Dance Showcase and MFA Thesis Concert. He has also created choreographic work for Sankofa Dance and Drum Ensemble at SUNY Brockport, as well as a piece for RCCG Buffalo Fountain of Restoration Parish of North Tonawanda, NY. For THD, Josh teaches Open World Dance to undergraduates and serves as teaching assistant for Professor Emeritus Thomas Ralabate’s Social Dance course.

Ikechukwu made his inevitable move towards dance when he was about nine years old and saw the movie “Serafina,” which was released in 1992. “I was like, ‘Damn, this is great!’ It’s a movie about Apartheid and the quest for freedom. They protested, sang, and danced even through torture and terror. I thought, ‘How can these guys be dancing and singing at (exactly) the same time?’ The experience was so real for me, I felt like, ‘This is where I belong.’ It inspired my course to become a choreographer and dancer.

“My dad had just moved from one part of Nigeria to another when the movie came out. I can’t count the number of times I watched it. It deepened the experience every time. It was so inspiring to see young people dance and sing.”

Another big influence on Ikechukwu is shared by many. “When I was in high school I started turning my consciousness and concentration to the arts. I became inspired to watch dance on film and copy the dances. I got so into Michael Jackson! I was in love with ‘The Thriller’ video, and I had to do the choreography.

“After high school I wanted to go to university for dance, but my dad said, ‘No son of mine is going to go into dancing.’ (laughs) He wanted me to be an economist, but I couldn’t do it; it wasn’t my passion. There’s a qualifying exam in Nigeria that you have to take before you go into university and I intentionally failed the mathematics exam! (laughs) So my sister went to talk to one of my dad’s best friends, who was a philosophy lecturer. He came to the house to explain to my father that the theatre arts were viable as a career. So I had to assure him that when I went into this field that I was going to break records!” (smiles)

Ikechukwu got into the University of Ibadan, Nigeria where he majored in dance and choreography with a minor in technical lighting and design. The program at Ibadan also included workshops with professional guest artists, much like what THD provides. Josh learned modern and contemporary styles at the same time as African dance, but his thirst to learn other forms remains insatiable.

The internet was critical to his learning. “I never wanted to be (just) a ‘local champion,’” he said without ego, only enthusiasm. “I wanted to spread my tentacles to see what dance was actually about in countries that I couldn’t reach, so I was always online (learning about) South African dance, Ghana dance, Guinea dance, dances from the (African) Diaspora.

Another big moment was when one of Ikechukwu’s university lecturers showed his class the movie “Umoja,” the award-winning musical celebration of South African song and dance which also toured globally as a stage production in the early 2000s.“When you hear them sing and dance they dance their whole heart with passion,” Ikechukwu said. “It was a very rich production.”

Ikechukwu continued to expand his skills. “In 2013 I had a dance partner and we started learning the Latin-American style: salsa, kizomba, bachata, and meringue. And I was so in love with Latin American dances too. Since I know African dance, when I see dances from Cuba and Jamaica, I feel these are rooted in the same technicality, body movements and gestures.”

“Salsa (and Latin dance) wasn’t taught in my department (at Ibadan), but I started taking Latin lessons online. I was pushing myself. I was always rushing home to my mom, my sisters and my friends to practice partnering with them. I just wanted to get it right.”

“I can learn from someone (when attending a dance class in person) in space, but it’s easier for me online. When I see it, it sticks in my head. After I got my family to dance with me, it was like ‘Okay, I’m done with you now, thank you.’ (laughs) YouTube is my friend! I’m glad I can see the beginning and intermediate movement and build on it.

“The only dance I never paid attention to was ballet (laughs), because back in Nigeria trying to modify my body to do it, I thought, ‘Nah!’ I learned hip hop and Afro-pop. I grew up watching them on the streets too. Every weekend there was a dance party. I watched our uncles and aunties dance.”

Though he mainly grew up in the southern and western regions of Nigeria, Ikechukwu and his family still feel a strong connection to the east. “In my tribe, the Igbo people are originally from the eastern parts of Nigeria, so every Christmas my dad takes all of us back there for visits. We do the dances, masquerade performances, and I reconnect with my roots every year.”

“Most of the easterners, we believe that no matter where we are we must remember there is something that’s connecting us to where we’re coming from, and we must go back. My dad doesn’t joke about that! Nobody spends Christmas alone. We have to go back, which happens to be a long journey, but became a ritual for me and my family. December is marked for traveling home one way or the other, back to our roots.”

Ikechukwu explored the eastern Nigerian dance style when choreographing his most recent piece “Zam Ekpele” for Zodiaque Dance Company. It dazzled audiences at ZDC’s fall 2023 showcase at UB Center for the Arts.

“The title “Zam Ekpele” means ‘Answer my prayer,’” he explained. “In my tribe we believe in the existence of a supernatural being and the protection of our ancestors and ancestral power, so most of the time when we have functions and festivities, before we do anything, there is paying of homage to ancestors, which is often giving thanks.

“What the dancers chant in the very beginning of the piece means ‘Answer me, answer me, answer me,’ which is a call to these ancestral powers. ‘Please take heed and answer our prayer.’”

The creation of “Zam Ekpele” took approximately 14 hours of rehearsal time over several weeks, though up to 18 hours was allotted. “During the warmup exercises I sometimes introduced the (African) movement so that when we got to the movement proper it became easy on their bodies,” Josh said. “It was quite intriguing because I felt it would tough to introduce African dance to White bodies, but these students said, ‘Bring it on, bring it on, we got it!’ (laughs) And the only thing I could do was to polish it, with little corrections here and there, and it came out great. The entire process was sweet for me.”

“Zam Ekpele” was one of two pieces selected by THD Associate Teaching Professor / Co-Director of ZDC Kerry Ring to be performed by company members at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Festival in Rochester, NY, in March 2024.

“We always select pieces which really represent (the breadth of) UB Dance,” Ring said. “We’re interested in showcasing our versatility, which is why I felt very proud about bringing Josh’s African piece, as that’s another way our dancers are training.

“The final performance of the ACDA conference is called The Encore Performance and they had a series of metrics as to how you would get selected,” she said. “It’s a way for attendees to say, ‘Which piece would you like to see again?’ Each of the 40 participant school contingents was able to vote for two pieces which weren’t theirs.”

Ikechukwu’s high-octane work received special distinction as it was chosen to close The Encore. “Being selected for the Encore Gala Performance is a reflection of a positive vote from your peers, which is why we’re so proud of Josh’s work being selected,” Ring said.

Though there were other works presented at conference featuring African drumming and dance, “Josh’s got more feedback because of the interplay of the dancers drumming simultaneously, which elevated it, plus the performance quality of our dancers. It stood out.”

“When I was choreographing the students, I tried to contemporize it a bit,” Ikechukwu said. “It’s about the students being familiar with the original movement but finding a way to express themselves within it. When I see that some of the movement doesn’t sit properly with them since they’re not Africans, I tried to find a way around it so that the original effect of the movement was not lost. Most of the dance is based on everyday movement born out of eastern Nigeria, the Igbo part, where I’m from.”

Though he didn’t dance in “Zam Ekpele,” Josh was one of three live drummers alongside Dantrae Alonso and Charity John. “Charity is a first-year MFA Dance student in the department,” he said. “And Dantrae is a Jamaican. He’s from the UB Music Deptartment. When I first came to UB I was looking for someone who could also play the djembe as well as I can and other percussion, so I reached out to (THD Professor and Undergraduate Dance Chair) Melanie Aceto, who made a call to the Music Department in search of someone who might be interested.”

“Dantrae obliged me to become involved in my process. From my first year we were able to create this synergy and it’s been a mirror ride for me and him playing together and learning the cues. Then I inculcated Charity into the band (laughs). ‘Ok, come do this, come play percussion for us,’ and that’s it!”

“Josh has become a sought-after teacher and choreographer not just at UB, but in the WNY region, since his arrival to our MFA program two years ago,” said Dr. Ariel Nereson, Director of Graduate Studies for Theatre and Dance. “His creative work has been showcased in several department concerts, including last fall’s Zodiaque concert.

“Josh will also be recognized for the excellence of his creative research, specifically ‘Zam Ekpele,’ at the upcoming Celebration of Student Excellence. In addition to his teaching of West African practices, Josh will be piloting a new course, DAC455 Hip Hop 1, in fall 2024. The course is open to any interested UB student!”

Ikechukwu also choreographed “Across Borders” for the 2023 MFA Thesis Spring Concert. “It’s Yoruba dance, from the west. It’s the first dance I did at UB.” Josh’s “Black Tales” for the 2023 MFA Fall Showcase also originates from that region and “the high masquerade in West Africa. It’s part of the ritual too. In Africa, dance is part of our culture and explains and gives a definition to our culture.”

“I’ve lived 80 percent of my life across Nigeria. I made sure I traveled around the country before leaving for my master’s degree. Most of the popular Nigerian culture is from the west (Yoruba tribe), the east (Igbo) and the north (Hausa). They all have particular dances that are well known. From the east we have the Atilogwu. Then in the west we have the Bata dance, while in the north we have the Koroso dance.”

Dance is engrained in everyday Nigerian life in a way that Americans might not fully comprehend. “There is a ‘marriage rites dance,’ and a dance to welcome visitors when they come to a particular town, plus celebration dances, and more,” he said. “Dance is one of the main instruments–it is a unifier of the community. When we gather together we sing, we dance, and eat, and express ourselves. It’s a language to itself.”

A very different kind of dance experience was Ikechukwu’s collaboration with fellow MFA Dance student Dani Schoefer. The two initially created a seven-minute work together called “Alone Together” for the department’s annual MFA Fall Dance Showcase. It found second life by being accepted for the Rochester, NY Fringe Festival in summer 2023, when they expanded it to 45 minutes.

“That piece was slightly different from the African dances I’ve been doing. It was an eye-opener,” Ikechukwu said. “I’ve never done that long a piece of modern-contemporary dance. It was experimental and collaborating with my classmate Dani, I got to understand some different nuances to approaching dance and working in an uncommon space.

“I’m very grateful for the courses I’ve been able to take at UB because it’s so different from where I came from. Now I feel I have this broad spectrum of how to investigate dance and how to carry my energies, and how to create pieces out, and to improvise. Man, these classes are something. I’ve been able to shape and sharpen my choreographic skills. I’m grateful for all the lecturers and professors here, to everybody.”

10 years ago, while still an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan, Josh formed a group called Meejay Dance Company with his friend Memechi Emakpor. (Meejay is a combination of both of their names.) “I set the company up in such a way that it’s based in the school as a platform for undergraduates to test their choreographic prowess,” Ikechukwu said. “It was my dream to make the company resident (within the University of Ibadan), to help those students who wish to go into professional theater to learn what they can do before they launch outward. It’s like Zodiaque (Dance Company) here at UB.”

“In 2016 I started to write plays–my dance musicals and started touring them to Ibadan and Lagos. I also worked part-time teaching dance and drumming at three high schools. I had a good number of audiences that would come to my shows every few months.” Some of his works include “17 hours,” “Tomorrow is Val,” “Baraje the Musical,” and “Kamara, My Dance Story.”

“My plays were laced with dance and music and most were about relationships, and about the country and the government policies that weren’t going well with the masses, and life in general. It was always about what people could relate to.”

Nigeria became more democratic in 1999, though there are still injustices. “It’s been a different ballgame (since 1999),” Josh replied. “Now through the influence of technology everybody is aware and involved with the policies of the day and development of the country, unlike before when Nigeria had a history of dictatorships until this transition of power (to democracy) which opened the minds of the citizens.

“In 2000 we had many protests over police brutality, and policemen brutalizing the youth because they thought we were into corruption, fraud, and online scamming. When they saw the youth on the streets, they thought we were fraudsters. People who have the intention of breaking the law. When a policeman sees a young guy driving an exotic car we are a prime suspect.

“October 20, 2020 was a remarkable, gory day in Nigeria,” he added. Per international reporting, on the evening of the October 20 members of the Nigerian Army opened fire on unarmed “End SARS” protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State. “#End SARS” was a decentralized social movement which called for the disbandment of the feared Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigerian Police. Amnesty International stated that at least 12 protesters were killed during the shooting, but the governor of Lagos State initially denied a loss of lives, then later conceded in an interview with CNN that "only two persons were killed.”

The Nigerian Army also initially denied involvement, but later stated that it had deployed soldiers to the toll gate on the orders of the governor. A month after the shooting, following a CNN documentary, the Nigerian Army admitted to the Lagos Judiciary panel of inquiry that it had deployed its personnel to the toll gate with both live and blank bullets.

“It was a very painful day because the youth were protesting harmlessly and there was open fire and many people lost their lives,” Ikechukwu said. “Since then, on every 20^th of October there is silent mourning in Nigeria because that is the day the young had the audacity to question the government and in return they got an open fire (shot). The government claimed that nobody died but you cannot lie on the face of social media because everyone knew (the truth) and the videos are still online.

“When you look at the transition of citizen involvement since then, there’s been a lot of change for the better and the good. Now the political leaders cannot bring out policies will not be in the interest of the people. Everyone posts online criticizing them when (they try). Everyone is conscious and involved (now).”

Earlier this year Josh’s Meejay Dance Company turned 10 years old. “I just came back from Nigeria where we had the 10^th anniversary show. When I came to UB I had to transfer the direction to my colleague back in Nigeria, so this production was written and directed by Progress Adetula. It was called ‘Ghetto Dreams.’

“I wanted something different from what we’d been doing before. The production was a look into the life of every dancer. I don’t know how it is the United States, but in Nigeria dancers are looked down upon. We don’t earn the right remuneration and respect in society. We’re always underpaid. The raw talent in my country has people (who live) in the ghetto.

For the show, “We picked these dances from the street to try to portray the dreams of every Nigerian child, just to make it in life and have a breakthrough.

“I told my story too, because I was born in the ghetto and then of course my dad worked for the federal government, but his salary wasn’t great. We were just living an average life. The story was about how far we’ve come.

“We had a huge audience,” he said. “We sold out the whole theater (of 300 seats) and people sat on the stage and shouted (happily) at us. After we announced that the house was filled up, people said, ‘No!’ And they stood (in the back) and at the door.’ (laughs) It was big. It was good!”

Asked about how he learned about the UB Dance Masters program, Ikechukwu explained, “One day after I had applied to Bowling Green State University and one program in the UK, I was home checking on my phone. I belong to a scholars group on WhatsApp to share media. I saw that someone had posted ‘University at Buffalo Application for Scholarship Program.’ I felt forced to just click it and then I went straight to the program for masters. ‘What university offers dance as a scholarship?!’ I thought. I looked at the requirements and I thought, ‘Man, I can do this!’”

Ikechukwu is certain about his post-graduation plans next spring. “I want to teach African dance in the United States. I want to stay because it’s been a really joyful and interesting time here, seeing people embrace the West African and African style of dance. Last week I was in a high school in Lockport, NY and I accompanied a group from SUNY Brockport for their show. I saw the smiles on the kids’ faces and them dancing to the djembe and chanting the words and I was like, ‘This is it!’ I want to teach at the college level when I graduate.”

“I am what I am today because of different lessons I’ve taken from my very tender age up to now. There’s always more room to develop and to progress. I’m grateful to UB for giving me the scholarship to come and study here. It’s been wonderful.”

Would Ikechukwu ever start a dance company in Buffalo? “Of course! Why not? It would be great to (extend) Meejay Dance Company. It’s been something I’ve been dreaming of that I hope someday becomes reality.”