We sat down for an exclusive interview with Divine Tasinda, one of the performers, artistic directors and choreographers, and costume designers and makers of World’s Evolution. Pioneering street dance company THREE60 presents the first Scottish Hip-Hop tour to take place in half a decade.
This show is touring from 28th February-23rd April across Scotland – Tickets here.
World’s Evolution is described as a journey from the origins of humanity to the complexities of the modern world, rooted in Africa as a shared motherland. What first sparked the idea to frame a hip-hop theatre piece around this expansive historical and philosophical arc?
Firstly, it was science that sparked the idea. The widely supported understanding that humanity originated in Africa inspired us to frame World’s Evolution around Africa as our shared motherland. As Africans ourselves, there’s always going to be a connection that brings us back to our roots. 10 years ago, through THREE60, I started a platform called AKO which was about identifying African diaspora dance, such as the evolution of movement and dance from dancehall reggaeton to experimental. This is where the depth of my research into my roots began. As an artist, I never felt like I fitted into a lot of productions. For example, I felt like my body moved differently and I didn’t always connect to the work. I felt like my story hadn’t been told yet – the African story hadn’t been told yet – especially not in Scotland, at that time. For me, as an individual, this sparked an interest to ask ‘Where do I come from?’ In my research of African dance, it also led me down the path of science and learning that the earliest human remains were found in East Africa. In a way, this made me think of the evolution of humanity being from Africa – rich histories that deserve a platform to be told, valued, taken care of and given space to. Ultimately this story is our story.
You speak about the work asking audiences: “Can you remember where you come from? Do you know who you are? Do you know where we are going?” How do you translate such big existential questions into choreography without becoming didactic?
The beautiful thing about dance is storytelling. The beautiful thing about Hip-Hop – as a sector – and African Art is that most movements are rooted in storytelling, especially African and traditional dance. A lot of African traditional dances were born from their day-to-day life. For example, how men went to hunt and how women went to fetch water, there’s movement in that. A lot of African dance is very spiritual too, so a lot of movement is embedded in healing practice. For example, there’s one dance called the ‘rain dance’ where a village of people come together to dance and manifest rain. Hip-Hop was created at a time when the African diaspora didn’t feel heard, as they didn’t have space to express themselves. Dance, movement and music has always been used as a form of storytelling – as a way of communicating messages.
THREE60 has spent over a decade championing Street and African Diasporic dance forms in Scotland. How has that ten-year journey shaped this latest iteration of World’s Evolution, particularly as you take it on tour across the country?
World’s Evolution is ultimately a show that brings together different shows that THREE60 has developed over the past 10 years, on our journey as choreographers and directors. There are sections from each of us – the choreographers and directors – that range across themes of empowerment, motherhood, masculinity, darkness, perseverance and hope. World’s Evolution is inspired from our own individual stories; the hard parts, the parts where we had to fight to be heard and seen and the good parts. Regardless of hardships, there is something beautiful and precious about coming together to celebrate the arts and our own personal endeavours within that. THREE60 was born to show the next generation what’s possible, and that everyone deserves an opportunity and everyone is capable.
The piece blends Hip-Hop, krump, popping, and African and Caribbean dance traditions. How do you navigate honouring the cultural roots of these forms while also pushing them into experimental, contemporary theatre spaces?
The ownership comes less from changing the style, and more from taking up and demanding space.
Alongside the performances, the tour includes workshops and engagement classes. For you, what is the relationship between the stage work and the community work — are they separate strands, or part of the same artistic mission?
For THREE60, they are part of the same artistic mission as we are hoping to create more opportunities for upcoming Hip-Hop artists from youth to those who are closer to being professionally considered. For us, when we say community, we are talking about all areas of community. For example, every area we are going to is a community. Scotland is a community. For us the mission doesn’t change. Our mission is to give Hip-Hop the space it deserves, for it to be cherished and for it to be seen as equal across art forms.
THREE60 speaks about dismantling barriers within Scotland’s professional dance landscape. What barriers still need challenging, and how do you hope World’s Evolution contributes to reshaping the future of dance in Scotland?
To break down barriers, there has to be connection to Black people to ensure that the African diaspora and Black communities know that there are opportunities for them here. For example, there are opportunities for them to explore their art and creativity.There have been many crews in Scotland but there hasn’t been many opportunities for large-scale touring of Hip-Hop like with World’s Evolution. It is breaking barriers in bringing together different ages and types of dancers – from emerging artists to experienced professionals – and that each artist is paid. Currently we believe we are the only company in Scotland who is regularly giving paid opportunities to Hip-Hop artists in Scotland, so we hope to inspire generations of Hip-Hop and street dance artists on tour – showing them what is possible.