Yemi Alade dropped her latest music video and as usual, we are captivated by the dancing. We caught up with the man behind the moves--Tomisin (@tomisin_tomtom), to talk about his choreography in the video.
AFROCONEX:
Tomisin, thank you for your time. We are big fans of your work and are super excited to catch up with you on your latest work. We know you are part of the Westsyde Lifestyle crew; outside of Westsyde Lifestyle, can you tell us more about who Tomisin is ?
TOMISIN: My name is Eromose Tomisin Ordia, popularly known as (Tomtom). I’m 26yrs old and I was born and raised in Lagos. I’m an Afro-beats dancer and choreographer. I’m very versatile and creative. To me DANCE is ART, that’s why I have so much passion for it. My dance journey started from the streets of LAGOS, Shomolu Bariga to be precise. I grew up there, learning so much about street dance. This knowledge is what keeps me physically and mentally in check, and influences how I move my body and how I respond to sound❤️
AFROCONEX:
Yemi Alade just dropped her “Double Double” music video which you star in and choreographed. What was your inspiration for the dance capture in the video ?
TOMISIN:
Yes I did star in the the video and I also choreographed the dance in the music video. Actually, my inspiration came from the sound of the beat, which has an Igbo traditional feel mixed with an Ndombolo Rhythm.
AFROCONEX:
The dance definitely has a Congolese Ndombolo vibe. Was N’dombolo dance style an inspiration for the choreography ?
TOMISIN:
Yes, N’dombolo was definitely an inspiration for the choreography. The choreography also has a traditional dance from the East side of Nigeria (Igbo) in it as well. I decided to be creative with the beat and play with both.
AFROCONEX:
Is there a big following of N’Dombolo dance in Lagos? Are there teachers teaching this style?
TOMISIN:
I Won’t really say there’s a big following of N’dombolo dance in Nigeria but dancers here are open to learning all kinds of dance styles to improve themselves and also teaching.
AFROCONEX:
Did the village setting of the video influence your choreography in anyway ?
TOMISIN:
No, the village setting didn’t influence the choreography. I had the choreography done before knowing what the set was going to look like.
AFROCONEX:
What was your favorite part of filming the video ?
TOMISIN:
Every part of the film was my favorite, I don’t think there is a part that I don’t like
AFROCONEX:
Most Afro dance done today is a fusion of different styles. What are your thoughts on this ? Do you think this is watering down the integrity of individual dance styles.
TOMISIN:
Yes you are right… most African dance today is a fusion of different styles because dancers, especially of now are so carried away by the mainstream… they only care about what’s trending and whatnot, when in actual fact, literally every African country has its own peculiar style connected to its culture.. eg Naija- Konto, Ghana- Azonto, SA- Pantsula, Congo- Ndombolo and so on... We need to pay attention to the basics, the origins, we need to keep doing the dirty work instead of looking for the easy way out. Easy way out like trying to infuse two or more styles together to create another thing, hence, watering down the integrity of individual dance styles. It’s okay to infuse styles in creating choreography or combos or whatnot but it’s necessary and important to be ale to identify each individual dance style or step and its origin/foundation/story.
Be sure to keep up with Tomisin and his art on IG at: @Tomisin_tomtom
Check out his choreography in Yemi Alade's Double Double Video