NANA ANANSE COLLABORATES
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Welcome to our Collaborations page, where creativity meets synergy! Here, you'll find a vibrant collection of performances and videos featuring talented artists from various disciplines. Each collaboration highlights the unique blend of styles and ideas emerge when we come together to create something extraordinary. Dive in and explore the magic that when artists unite!
NANA ANANSE PERFORMANCES


"From bolla to dollar" solo performance by NANA Yaw Ananse .....

August 5, 2024
ABSTRACT
The sense of belonging is what most individuals focus on, instead of running in search of their own identities. McMullin (1969) argued that “so many in quest for difference of man have preferred to take more restricted traits whose presence can be more easily established.” This reaffirms the claim that not too many people are that enthusiastic about being different(themselves), more often than not they tend to put in efforts to fit in a group or identify with a society as it is the easy way out. McMullin went on to say “that to understand something usually involves noting its resemblance to other things, seeking analogies which will allow us to make inferences about how it will behave and why it behaves the way it does.” So, most people forge their identities by seeking validations from external factors and people in comparisons. Individuals prefer to play it safe to avoid ostracism, that is, they are mostly afraid of being different, odd, weird or the black sheep amongst a group. Yet they would want to STANDOUT as unique in their areas of expertise be it in Artistry, leadership or Architecture. The desire to belong often clashes with the quest for individuality. “Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that belonging is a fundamental human motivation; however, this can lead individuals to suppress their unique characteristics in favor of fitting in” (Maslow, 1943). The feelings of fear, ostracism, and social exclusion (Williams, 2007) “reflect the psychological barriers that individuals face when attempting to assert their unique identities within a collective.” Now the question is, can such an individual in such a dilemma harness the power of their individual capabilities? Is there a need to sort after uniqueness when fitting in is so easy? Especially what will the everyday African who in the spirit of communalism and the upholding of societal norms, shuts the door to the exploration of his or her unique prowess in most cases have to do? Like the cliché goes, “A well preserved Uniqueness is an automatic standout move”, for an individual to unlock their full potential and efficacy, how does personal identity come in play? And how best can individuals positively impact society with their xi unique capabilities? “THE BLACK SHEEP” is a choreographic dance piece that explores movement phrases and theatrical elements working together cohesively to create the awareness of Individuals finding strength in their personal identities and the society to learn to be accepting, understanding and accommodative, for the positive capabilities of these individuals to be harnessed. This research and the subsequent choreographic piece are going to provide a theoretical knowledge as well as an audio-visual representation of how uniqueness can be harnessed as a source of strength – to positively impact the society. Who is the black sheep?