Sankofa Moving Architecture

Sankofa Moving Architecture is a dance work in development using black and white visual contrast to explore objects in space, the body, the bodies relationship to space (positive and negative) and progressively, the relationship between two moving bodies in high contrast space.

Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and the mythical bird symbol is “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind” It symbolizes the Akan people’s quest for knowledge among the Akan with the implication that the quest is based on critical examination, and intelligent and patient investigation.

With Sankofa at the core of exploration, Lucky Lartey will visit and revisit his traditional culture to inform the learning within and outcomes of this creative development, which in turn will move his practice forward into new interdisciplinary territory. By blending contemporary dance language and traditional West African Dance practice together to explore the dichotomy between contemporary and tradition, drawing out shape, form and storytelling while capturing this exploration of aesthetic. Cinema is calibrated to a white body. With a team of diverse bodies, Lartey will explore the unspoken landscape of capturing different bodies and skin tones sharing space in stills and moving image. Lartey will experiment with background colours and chromakeys to learn how to create resonance between light and dark skin tones to clearly articulate all moving bodies in photography and videography.

Lucky Lartey

Lucky Lartey is a Sydney-based dancer and choreographer originally from Ghana, West Africa. Lartey’s work draws on his traditional culture of rhythm and dance as well as his understanding of contemporary movement practices. Lucky’s dance and choreographic practice looks for ways to negotiate what it means to draw on a rich history of traditional dance while innovating within a contemporary context. His methodology for developing dance work focuses on the collaboration between live percussion music and movement and is often informed by themes of social justice and the reinvigoration of past cultural forms such as cultural games and social activities. Lartey’s key interest areas include: intercultural work and collaboration; exploring notions of what is contemporary and traditional movement practice; community cultural development; exploring his identity as a West African producing work in a contemporary context; and exploring opportunities to collaborate, present work and teach internationally. In 2019, Lucky premiered his solo work Full Circle as part of FORM’s Dance Bites seasons at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta. He currently works on a choreo/photographic project focused on dance and architecture.