Favour Odusola (Proud African King) is a Nigerian Irish multidisciplinary artist based in Dublin Ireland and a professional member of Dance Ireland and Create Ireland. He has worked across several contexts from traditional dance & percussion to commercial work and contemporary theatre for over 15 years in Europe (Ireland and London), Africa (Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria), and UAE (Dubai). He is a face that portrays the average African dancer with a zeal to learn and explore.

He has danced and performed at various festivals and performances such as Dancers for the Inside and Outside for the Irish Modern Dance Theatre by John Scott, “EVOLUTIONS” for the Irish Modern Dance Theatre by John Scott, The Cork Midsummer Festival under the Irish Modern Dance Theatre in the Opera, “THE WANDERER” by Tom Lane, written by Jessica Traynor, choreographed by John Scott, OTHELLO for the Irish Modern Dance Theatre by John Scott, “EKAABO” his curated three-part piece as part of Mother Tongues Festival, STRAWBOYS TOUR” with Rob Heapslip, “NATIVES” a Black canvas x Top 8 Production, “BREAKING CODES” at Rua Red Theatre etc. 

As a writer, producer and director, he co-created a community-led dance show with his dance company Umakoko titled “WAVE”. WAVE the New Chapter, an exhibition created by Umakoko Productions is a fresh outlook on-stage performance, with dance and music in the spotlight. He recently wrote, directed, produced and performed his first-ever theatre play titled “EKAABO” commissioned by the Local Live Phase 3 Performance Scheme funded by South County Dublin to a sold-out show in Dublin.

 

Favour was recently a curator, opening act and performer for the Mother Tongues festival in Dublin in February 2022. He performed as a dancer with the Irish modern Theatre under John Scott on shows like: Ireland’s cultural night aimed towards community re-integration post-covid; the “Dancers Inside and Outside Tour” with shows around Ireland in places like Tralee, Galway, Bray, Thurles, and Roscommon; and “Evolutions” which was performed at the Project Arts Center shown for four days straight. He also performed with the Dublin Youth Dance Company at the Draoicht Theatre in Blanchardstown.

 

He was also involved in Helen Keenan’s Dance Residency “In the Grey” in Dance Ireland which experienced dancers who had injuries that were not classified as an injury under award guidelines or to friends/partners. He performed on stage with artist Vithoria Escobar for Sim SIMMA on St Patrick’s Day 2022. He was also a recipient of a week-long Shawbrook residency with artist Vithoria Escobar facilitated by Helen Keenan.

 

Favour has taught at companies such as Google, Pfizer,  Central Bank of Ireland, Black Canvas (a work emerging from an AIC Bursary Award 2020), Friends of Earth ‘COP ON Youth Workshop on the cop26 UN Climate talks’, The Longford Africans Network, Dance Ireland.

 

He has taught in various dance schools/crews and studios such as Fly Dance Studio (Dublin), Coisceim Dance Theatre (Dublin), District Funk (Dublin), C&N Dance Company (Dublin),  Dance Revelation Studios (Omagh), TU Dublin, Kareen VYBZ Cork, (Cork), World Fusion Dance Crew (Dublin), DYDC (Dublin), etc.

 

He was a panellist in ESCAIR, a black Irish renaissance panel curated by Tobi Balogun discussing highlighting Ireland’s thriving but underrepresented Black-Irish creative scene and exploring how race and identity have influenced them. He was also an invited speaker on World Health Day with A lust for Life discussing suicide still being a crime in 20 countries, decolonizing mental health and religion, the importance of intersectionality, and why mental health is political and equity not equality in mental health awareness and help.

 

Under Imagneto Dance Company headed by Africa’s dance queen Kaffy, he has worked as a dance choreographer, assistant choreographer, scriptwriter, video editor, sound engineer, dance coordinator, and stage manager, to name a few.

 

He has performed for most of the big names in the music industry from Wizkid, Burna boy, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Davido, Busiswa, Niniola, and DJ Cuppy, to mention a few, and as a backup dancer at some of Africa’s biggest shows e.g. One Africa Music Fest, Big brother Naija Finale, Soundcity Awards, Headies Awards, Afrimma, Rhythm Unplugged,  3thrones concert, etc and worked and performed for large brands like: Nickelodeon, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Zenith, GtBank, Access Bank, Fidelity bank, Transcorp Hilton.