Robert Ssempijja starts his solo with a story about the community in Kampala, Uganda, where he grew up and tells of the expectations of its members towards him. Every society tends to be particularly judgmental and close-minded towards those who step out of line. We are all constantly searching for our place in the world: we try to adapt, to understand our different roles and we struggle for acceptance. In a catwalk setup, dancer and choreographer Robert Ssempijja demonstrates the body’s ability to challenge social norms – and thus reveals the dance’s inherent potential for emancipation. At the same time, the piece contributes to distorting, disrupting and expanding the limits imposed by the disciplining gaze of others.

My mum who also happens to be my father inspires me a lot. However, there has been a struggle within me for the longest time and it manifests itself in my relationship with her. She is very much bound by the traditions, norms and unwritten laws of her society and community. She will do what is seemingly right in everyday life to make sure not to draw any ill wishes or social punishments over herself and her children.

Being from a younger generation, I applaud my mother for all her doing. She has not had an easy life and with all the pressure from the surrounding so- ciety, it can‘t have made it easier to raise two children with no means. I want to please my mother in all this. Maybe I can give some of all her efforts back. I could become a lawyer or doctor as the norm tells me I should strive for. But I don‘t want that. I want to keep my hair, wear my t-shirt and dance my doctor‘s career away. Can‘t my actions speak for themselves?

ROBERT SSEMPIJJA is a dance artist from Uganda. In his style he combines traditional dance with breakdance and contemporary dance techniques. His training includes techniques from Burkina Faso, and he is currently pursuing his dance diploma at the Ecolé des Sables in Senegal. Robert Ssempijja uses his dance knowledge for professional work, but is also an important protagonist of the growing contemporary dance scene in Uganda and founder of Dance Revolution East Africa. He works regularly with Christoph Winkler (Germany), Nora Chipaumire (New York/Simbabwe), Qudus Onikeku (Nigeria) and Patrick Acogny (France/Senegal).
robertssempijja.com

[Source: sophiensaele.com]