An Afro-contemporary work by Appiah Annan

Sankofa

Looking Back to Move Forward

A powerful Afro-contemporary dance work exploring memory, identity and cultural reconnection.

Premiered 2012Malthouse TheatreMelbourne / Naarm

About the Work

Sankofa was the first full-length Afro-contemporary dance work created by Appiah Annan and marked a significant milestone in the artistic evolution of Asanti Dance Theatre.

Premiering at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre in 2012 before being presented at the Drum Theatre and touring throughout Victoria and Queensland, Sankofa established Appiah as an emerging choreographic voice within Australia’s contemporary dance landscape.

The work takes its name from the ancient Akan concept of Sankofa, often translated as “return and get it.” Symbolised by a bird reaching back towards its tail while moving forward, Sankofa teaches that understanding the past is essential to shaping the future.

Drawing on this powerful philosophy, the work explores themes of cultural identity, memory, migration and belonging, inviting audiences to reflect on the people, traditions and experiences that shape who we become.

Artistic Vision

At the heart of Sankofa is a question that continues to influence Appiah’s creative practice:

How do we honour our past while creating our future?

As a Ghanaian artist living and creating work in Australia, Appiah sought to explore the relationship between cultural heritage and contemporary identity.

The work investigates what is carried across generations, what is lost through migration and what can be rediscovered through memory, storytelling and artistic expression.

Choreographic Approach

Inspired by choreographers including Pina Bausch, Alvin Ailey, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Appiah began exploring new ways of integrating African movement traditions within contemporary dance practice.

Rather than simply presenting traditional forms, he stripped movements back to their essential qualities and rebuilt them through a contemporary choreographic lens.

The result was the emergence of a distinctive movement language that blended:

Traditional African dance
Contemporary dance
Hip hop
Freestyle movement
Acrobatics
Live music and percussion

This process would become the foundation for many of Appiah’s later works.

Music & Performance

Performed with live percussion and music, Sankofa combined powerful rhythms with expressive movement and theatrical storytelling.

The work drew on ancestral themes, cultural memory and collective experience, creating an immersive performance that resonated with audiences across diverse cultural backgrounds.

Legacy

Sankofa marked the beginning of Appiah’s exploration of Afro-contemporary dance and established a creative direction that continues to shape his work today.

The production laid the groundwork for later works including Mumo, Broken Pieces and BESA: The Beat of Belonging, while contributing to the development of a uniquely African-Australian contemporary dance voice.