Award-winning choreographer and dancer confronts the pervasive issue of shadeism within communities of color

In a searing world premiere, choreographer and dancer Esie Mensah presents Shades, a deeply personal dance theatre exploration into the discrimination between lighter-skinned and darker-skinned members of communities of colour known as shadeism, September 27th to 30th, 2018 at Factory Theatre in Toronto.

A visceral and urgent work, Shades examines the deep generational trauma that shadeism has imprinted on Mensah, its six artists, and society at large.

“I’m interested in exploring the ugliness, the pain, and the truth of shadeism,” says Mensah. “In 2018, shadeism is still a reality, constantly dividing us. Shades is my unapologetic confrontation with this all-too-common actuality in communities of colour. While shadeism is explored through my lens, it is not just my story. It would be selfish to present something so universal as just my own and that’s why I value the stories and experiences of my artists, creative team, and mentors.”

Originally developed in 2016, the now full-length 75-minute work will fearlessly examine the question of how communities of colour became fractured around the notion of skin tone but also becomes an undeniable opportunity to start a conversation of healing across all Diasporas. In today’s world, this discrimination can often be subtle and insidious, whereas in the past shadeism was commonly used to unofficially rank enslaved people in many countries around the world.

Mensah is greatly affected by the lengths people of colour the world over have taken to permanently alter their skin tone in a quest for a distorted beauty ideal. Countless reports abound of dangerous and sometimes illegal products purporting to lighten or even bleach skin tone, all suggesting an ingrained psychological belief many ethnic communities have towards social acceptance, perceived value and attractiveness. While Shades doesn’t shy away from confronting the ugly truths of shadeism, Mensah feels the piece is a restorative balm through which to mediate the pain.

Toronto-based Mensah is a highly respected choreographer and dance artist. She is the 2014 Black Canadian Award Winner for Best Contemporary Dancer, the 2015 recipient of the Cultural Promotion award from the Ghanaian-Canadian Association for her 2015 production of Akoma and was named in 2017 as one of 100 Black Women to watch in Canada. She has worked with some of the industry’s biggest icons such as Rihanna, Drake, Janelle Monae, French Montana, Francesco Yates, the Canadian opener for Justin Timberlake’s Man of the Woods Tour and has collaborated with companies like Coca-Cola, Luminato, TIFF, Estée Lauder, FIFA, WEDAY, and more. Within the realm of the performing arts, she has worked with Shaw Festival, Soulpepper Theatre, and Obsidian Theatre, where she gained both experience and knowledge to help her create.

In addition to her accolades, Mensah is committed to bringing her own unique style of Afrofusion dance into the industry that includes movements from traditional and contemporary African fused with commercial, urban, and contemporary styles. As a choreographer, Mensah uses each artistic opportunity to express her creativity through the art of dance and theatre. She designs and directs performances that have inspired others to share in her innovative ideas.

Shades features Mensah alongside an ensemble of six highly athletic and accomplished artists, coupled with the luminary creative team including actor Akosua Amo-Adem (Soulpepper’s The Crucible, Nightwood’s The Penelopiad) as dramaturge and triple Dora Award-winning playwright, director, and scholar d’bi.young anitafrika as Mensah’s artistic mentor.

During the performance, the dancers will interact with an inherent physicality while recounting moments of rejection, pain, and discrimination. Percussionist Santosh Naidu and bass player Ian DeSouza will compose original music as they create a soundscape of pulsing African rhythms and musical flow. Audiences will discover that Shades will be an experience to remember.

Shades will run from September 27th – 29th, 8 pm at the Factory Theatre located at 125 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, with a final curtain call on September 30th at 4 pm. Tickets are $35 for Adults and $25 for Seniors, Students and Arts Workers available at esiemensah.com.