Wanjiru Kamuyu ^{(From, USA, Ken)} An Immigrant's Story 5-6 April 2022

Programme

Wanjiru Kamuyu brings emotional immigration stories to life through a fusion of dance styles and painful memories.

I solot An Immigrant's Story Wanjiru Kamuyu explores the place and belonging of an immigrant. She takes us on a personal journey with heartfelt stories about having your roots uprooted, being different and desperately trying to find your place.  

Alone on stage, surrounded by 35 black chairs, Kamuyu speaks and dances about the objectification, exotification and racism she has faced in her life as a cosmopolitan. She reflects on white cis male privilege, the complexity of being a foreigner, and how prejudice and cultural preferences can tie up life.

Like a melting pot, she combines African, European and American influences in her work. Her body is an ever-changing map that incorporates the stigmatisation and assimilation of the nomad. All with a satirical undertone that convinces with its straightforwardness.

Wanjiry Kamuyu

Wanjiru Kamuyu was born in Nairobi and discovered classical dance at an early age. In 1999, at the age of 16, she left Kenya for the United States and came into contact with contemporary dance for the first time. With dance training from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Temple University (Philadelphia, USA), she has developed a career between New York and Paris, where she moved in 2007.

As a dancer, Kamuyu is versatile and has worked with a number of prominent choreographers, including Bill T. Jones, Irène Tassembedo and Nathalie Pubellier. Jones, Irène Tassembedo, Robyn Orlin and Nathalie Pubellier. In 2009, she created her own company WKCollectine, which has been internationally acclaimed and performed in countries ranging from the US, France, Italy and Ireland to Burkina Faso, South Africa, Rwanda and Mozambique.

Share your and others' stories

When Wanjiru Kamuyu wrote An Immigrant's Story, she based it as much on her personal experiences as on the testimonies gathered in meetings with others.

In a collection of voice recordings, these stories speak volumes about our vital need for mobility and freedom while reflecting how we view newcomers. They highlight notions of privileged - or unwanted - migrants.

The stories highlight our multiple identities based on our personal journeys, a mosaic where the encounter with the other is a valuable asset and a personal and collective enrichment.

Wanjiru Kamuyuger gives you access to these texts and invites the audience of An Immigrant's Story to contribute to this "universal story" which is a constantly evolving collection: http://caminaktion.eu/stories