Doctor turned Dancer

Seise Bagbo a doctor turned dancer during the interview at Nation Centre on March 6,2018.PHOTO| DENNIS ONSONGO

What you need to know:

  • If you asked Seise Bagbo’s mother what her daughter is doing, she will tell you that she is a student at Kenyatta University taking a master’s in medicine, and that she will graduate in 2019.

If you asked Seise Bagbo’s mother what her daughter is doing, she will tell you that she is a student at Kenyatta University taking a master’s in medicine, and that she will graduate in 2019.

The truth, however, is that Seise said goodbye to the practice of medicine after she graduated with her first degree from Kenyatta University’s School of Medicine in 2016 to pursue her soul - dance.

“I have wanted to be an artist for a long time. I even specialised in dance during my A levels at the Africa Leadership Academy (ALA) in South Africa. I wanted to pursue fashion after that but my mother took me to the school of medicine,” she says.

The first dance group she was part of was called Salt and Light, founded by Tony ‘Tosedo’ Aguko in August 2012.

“Salt and Light was an art festival in Kisumu that was solely held for fine artists - a dance group composed of those that performed at the festival was put together. We became the Salt and Light group and would go on to compete in Sakata, (Dance show that aired on Citizen TV) in 2014. We also performed at the first governor’s ball in Kisumu at the Victoria Railways Club in 2013, but after that, the group disintegrated after some members departed to pursue other interests,” she says.

In 2015, she fell gravely ill, and had to undergo an operation.

“When I got out of that operation alive, I knew that the only activity I would really miss if I died was dancing, so I rededicated my life to dance,” she says.

Seise’s primary dance training was in ballroom dancing, specialising in Salsa, Tango and Kizomba. Currently, she concentrates on ballet and contemporary dance, from which she earns a living.

“ALA gave me all the grounding techniques that I need to make it as a dancer, and as it is with any other profession, I have to continuously practice and keep up with the changing trends.  I learnt from dance gurus such as Adam Chienjo, Aida Colmenero, the founder of Ella Poema, and Tony Aguko. We (The Revolution Art Hub)  also do a lot of dance tours and I learn a lot from these too,” she says.

Dance pays, Seise says, how much you earn depends on how you position yourself and how well you can dance.

“I have a strict eight-hour rehearsal every day. Training is very important. The only difference between my job and a ‘normal job’ is that I train in different places for inspiration and to stir my creativity,” she explains.

Apart from dancing, Seise, who is 23, is also a spoken word artist and poet - she publishes some of her writings on her Facebook page, Seise Bagbo.

“My pet subjects are human rights, women’s rights and social justice. I feel that the empowerment of women can never be enough because for every empowered woman, seven others are brought down. As a young person, I also think that it is important that we speak about the things that strangle us. I find that voice in art, through my performances.”

 

1 What are your key artistic influences?

 Sia Furler – a pop star who lost her way due to drug addiction but managed to bounce back. She is now one of the biggest songwriters that I know.

Stella ‘Ellah’ Situma. She raised me in dance. I hold God in high regard. He always comes through.

 

2  When did you get into performance professionally? what would you say made you take this bold step?

 I have always been a writer. In 2014, the stripping of women in Nairobi and the ‘My Dress My Choice’ campaign inspired me to get into performance. As of dance, I am told that my first steps as a baby were inspired by dance. I started dancing professionally in 2012.

 

3 What are some of the highlights of your performances? Any key places/events and audiences you would like to mention?

I work with a team called The Revolution Art Hub. Every moment of performing with these guys is always a highlight. My first performance was in Nairobi at The GoDown Art Centre.

I had support from many people who I did not even know. The longest standing ovation I got was in Rwanda during the East African Nights of Tolerance International Dance Festival last year.

It lasted about 15 minutes. I broke down. My biggest highlight was when I trended in a Tanzanian magazine (in Nov 2015 for two weeks) afterwards, through Ella Poema and Mudda Afrika, I staged a performance dedicated to the women who got stripped in Nairobi in 2014.

Another person whose performance gives me life is Wanny Angerer, a Honduran Jazz performer and cultural promoter. Last year, I visited Bulgaria and Rwanda.

Apart from almost freezing to death in Europe, I broke down when in Rwanda, a crowd gave me a hug. This year on February 13, I performed at Flamenco Festival hosted by The Spanish Embassy through Wanny - the highlight was that I gave a tribute to Frida Kahlo, one of the biggest female painters and feminists.

 

4 What is your most memorable performance? Why does it stand out in your memory?

I am_Cancer at the Kenya National Theatre in October 2015 is my most memorable performance. We (The Revolution) struggled to stage it, and when we did, it just stood out. The performance moved the crowd. It brought us close as a team.

There’s also that incident in Bulgaria when we pulled a flash mob in a tram and we got briefly held by the police. It was totally worth it.

 

5 What do you think is the role of art in the society?

Art is a form of expression. Saying in different ways what cannot be spoken out. Art is also a way of keeping a people’s history. Art serves as a voice for the voiceless and point of hope. It also serves as an eye-opener to the society on the evil going on.

 

6 Are you the only artist in your family?

No, my brother Jashon, aka Luci, is one of the best painters I know. He studied painting in college. He is amazing. He is also one of my biggest inspirations.