At a mysterious crossroads, a traveller must decide which way to turn. Watching over them is a powerful rooster, while nearby waits Eshu – the playful and unpredictable trickster spirit who delights in mischief, surprises and unexpected possibilities. As the journey unfolds, the traveller encounters challenges, moments of joy and new ways of seeing the world around them.
We sat down for an exclusive interview with Miguel Altunaga to discuss their upcoming performance.
Eshu at the Crossroads runs as part of the Dance Umbrella Festival throughout late October. Tickets are available here.
What drew you to the story of Eshu and the idea of the crossroads as a starting point for this production?
For years, the Yoruba deity Eshu, also known as Eleggua, has resonated deeply with me. As guardian of the crossroads, he embodies contradiction: playful and unpredictable, but also wise and connected to change, choice and possibility. I felt a need to respond to that through my art.
When I met Sue Buckmaster and Theatre-Rites, we became interested in how puppetry and Yoruba ideas of animism might meet. We began with a week of research and development around Eshu/Eleggua, and the beginnings of Eshu at the Crossroads emerged. In the production, Eshu appears in different forms, while Eleggua becomes the central character we encounter at a crossroads, having lost their way. That image feels universal: we all experience moments when we must choose a direction without knowing where it leads.
How have you brought your Afro-Cuban influences together with Yorubic mythology and contemporary dance?
As an Afro-Cuban artist, I have always been interested in Yoruba culture – its mythology, dances, music and spiritual rituals, which are deeply woven into Cuban culture and everyday life. In the choreography, I wasn’t interested in simply reproducing traditional dances. Instead, I explored their qualities: rhythm, groundedness, gesture, repetition, transformation and the distinct energies associated with different Orishas, allowing these to meet my contemporary movement language. Growing up in Cuba, rhythm and dance were part of daily life, so they already exist in the way I understand and create movement. The choreography becomes a meeting place between cultural memory and my experiences as a contemporary dancer and choreographer. Like the crossroads itself, different histories and movement languages meet, challenge each other and transform into something new.
What does working with Theatre-Rites’ puppetry bring to the movement and storytelling of Eshu at the Crossroads?
Working with Theatre-Rites and Sue Buckmaster has allowed me to think about movement beyond the human body. Puppetry is exciting for Eshu because he is constantly shifting – transforming, deceiving, guiding and appearing unexpectedly. We explored how puppets, dancers and objects could share the same world, and how movement could give an inanimate object intention, personality and spirit. That connects beautifully with ideas of animism within Yoruba culture. Eshu appears in several forms, while other Yoruba-inspired figures bring energies of wisdom, protection and transformation. Rather than dance illustrating the puppetry, or puppetry illustrating the dance, they influence each other. Together with music and physical theatre, they create a world where transformation happens in front of the audience and where the invisible can suddenly become visible.
How do you approach creating work that can engage young audiences while still exploring complex ideas around choice, possibility and uncertainty?
The collaboration with Sue and Theatre-Rites was crucial because they have enormous experience creating sophisticated work for family audiences. What I love is that the process does not begin by trying to make something “for children”. It begins with research, curiosity and play. We approached ideas such as choice, uncertainty and finding your way through images, movement, music, humour and transformation rather than explaining everything. Children are incredibly imaginative and can engage with complexity when given space to interpret what they see. Eshu and Eleggua naturally connect with younger audiences because there is mischief, surprise and playfulness in their world. The aim was to create something magical and accessible without simplifying its ideas – a performance where children and adults can experience the same journey and discover different meanings within it.
How have your experiences with companies such as Rambert, Hofesh Shechter Company, Akram Khan Company (and Lost Dog Dance Theatre) shaped you as a choreographer?
Working with companies and artists including Rambert, Hofesh Shechter, Akram Khan and Lost Dog has exposed me to very different approaches to movement, theatre and storytelling.
Hofesh reinforced the importance of rhythm, instinct and the power of the collective body. Akram raised questions about cultural identity, storytelling, and how tradition can be transformed within contemporary performance. Rambert exposed me to an enormous range of choreographic languages and approaches to the body and movement. Working with Ben Duke and Lost Dog deepened my relationship with theatricality, character, vulnerability, and the space where dance and theatre meet.
I carry all these experiences with me, but my journey now is about discovering what is distinctly my own—returning to my Cuban roots, memories, spirituality and rhythms, and allowing those influences to pass through my own body and imagination.
What do you hope audiences aged five and above take away from their journey through Eshu at the Crossroads?
I hope audiences leave inspired by the richness of Yoruba culture and its stories, but also with a sense of wonder, curiosity and connection – to themselves, to others and to cultures different from their own. Most importantly, I hope children recognise something of themselves in Eleggua’s journey. We all arrive at crossroads in our lives, sometimes without knowing which direction to take. The story suggests that uncertainty does not necessarily mean we are lost; it can also be the beginning of discovery. The show is magical, transformative and playful, but underneath that playfulness are ideas about choice, resilience and possibility. I hope audiences leave feeling that challenges can become opportunities for growth, and that sometimes finding your way begins with being curious enough to take an unexpected path.