By Ade Omoloja
On Friday 22nd of March 2013, at Finsbury Town Hall London the (Association of Dance of the African Diaspora) ADAD awarded Peter Badejo, OBE with a Lifetime Achievement accolade for his contribution to the development of the practice of Dance of the African Diaspora in the UK.
In the Citation, which was read out on the evening, Peter Badejo OBE, is one of Nigeria’s foremost choreographers dancers and African performance specialists. After a long and distinguished career in Nigeria, United States as a performer, director, teacher and academic, Peter moved to Britain in 1990.
Peter is the artistic director of Badejo Arts, a company he founded in 1990. In addition to his own productions of allegorical contemporary African dance, including “Emi ijo”. The Pain of Aspiration, Sisi Agbe Aye (Opening the Gourd}, The Living Circle and Ebo Iye (Transitions) Elemental Passions, Peter Badejo has appeared in major drama’s such as Cambridge University’s Eshu’s Faust, Talawa Theatre company’s The Gods Are Not To Blame, Phylida Lloyds production of Medea and Death of the Kings Horseman.
Dance companies throughout Africa, Europe and America have commissioned Peter Badejo to work, Peter’s list of collaborators and commissions include Adizdo Pan African Dance Ensemble. Kokuma, Irie Dance theatre, Sakoba Productions, The royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Cambridge Arts Theatre, The School of African and Oriental studies London, The University of Surrey, amongst others.
Greatly in demand as a teacher, he has conducted residencies and workshop programmes throughout the UK for organisations such as the international workshop festival, London contemporary dance school, and The Birmingham summer school as well as WOMAD. During his tenure as artists in residence at John Moore University he assisted in the development of African Dance. Between 1993 and 2005 professionals and seasoned performers flocked to his annual dance and music summer school “Bami Jo” which was originally designed to provide a training ground in African and Caribbean dance for dance companies before being subsequently developed to provide intensive training for independent professional dancers and musicians, Peter Badejo was honoured by Her Majesty the Queen with an OBE for his contributions to the arts in 2001
Peter Badejo’s commitment to the field of African performance arts has involved research conducted through the Universities of London, California, Ghana, Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Surrey. Peter Badejo now freelances worldwide, he directed one of Nigeria’s contribution to London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, additionally he has been the artistic director for a number of international arts festival hosted in Abuja and Lagos, EKO 2012 and The Lagos Black Heritage Festival.
In his acceptance speech, Peter Badejo dedicated the award to the practitioners that came before him.
