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BIOGRAPHY

Israel Akpan Sunday, born in Lagos/Nigeria, is a choreographer, dancer, musician and creative entrepreneur.

He completed his dance training at the renowned Ecole des Sables in Senegal and he was part of the ImPulsTanz scholarship program in Vienna. He commits his artistic work to the exploration of Nigeria’s multicultural resources, developing community projects in Lagos and contributing to the further development of the independent contemporary dance scene in Nigeria.
As a multidisciplinary artist, he fuses dance with elements of live music and poetry. In his pieces, he deals with political and sociological problems as well as historical references. Having a discursive exchange with his colleagues and his audience always plays a vital role in his processes.
Israel has gained a lot of experience as a multidisciplinary artist both in Nigeria and internationally. In Nigeria, he worked as a dance instructor for the biggest reality show in Nigeria called Matina Family Reality Show.
In 2012, he was a choreographer for the National Sports Festival Nigeria and in 2014 for the Centenary Celebration of Nigeria. He is also a member of the Guild of Nigerian Dancers and the National Council for Art and Culture.
As founder of the organization „S.I.A Projects“ and as the festival director of the contemporary dance festival „Lasgidi International Dance Festival“, Israel offers young Nigerian artists a platform to develop themselves, to stage their productions and to support them in entering into an artistic exchange with other artists.

With the foundation of his own record label called MABAWONJA LTD in 2017, Israel also entered the music scene as a producer and songwriter.
He writes and produces music for himself and for other artists, both in Germany and in Nigeria.

Currently, Israel lives and works primarily in Hamburg.
In 2018, he premiered his piece „WHO IS RESPONSIBLE (WIR)?“ at the Eigenarten Festival.
As co-founder of FAMILY PRODUCTION, a house for interdisciplinary art productions, he produces various artistic formats for the independent dance scene.
In June 2021 he premiered „IJAKADI OKAN“ at Kampnagel as part of the Limited Edition Program of K3 (Zentrum für Choreographie I Tanzplan Hamburg).
His latest international production „AFROCONFUSIONIST“ was premiered in April 2022 in Hamburg.

Following, various choreographers, festivals, institutions, and theaters Israel worked with:

Choreographers: Stephanie Thiersch, Samir Akika, Monika Gintersdorfer, Isabella Schad, David Zambrano, Serge Aimé Coulibaly, Robyn Orlin, Regine Chopinot, Olivier Dubois, Jessica Nupen, Tian Rotteveel, Stephanie Felber, Jenny Beyer, Daniel Dominguez.
Institutions/Theaters: Kampnagel, K3, Tanzhaus NRW, Theater Bremen, Hellerau, National Theater of Nigeria, Theater Lübeck, Goethe Institut Nigeria, Schwankhalle, Goethe Zentrum Kampala, Monsun Theater, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Ecole des Sables in Senegal, Tanzmesse in Düsseldorf.
Festivals: Dance Umbrella South Africa, Tanz im August in Berlin, Selva Festival Hamburg, Eigenarten Festival Hamburg, Hauptsache Frei Festival Hamburg, Kultursommer Hamburg