Lagos (WorldStage Newsonline)-- The University of Lagos (Unilag), Akoka will on the 24th of May host ‘Aralamo’, a contemporary dance piece, to promote creative dancing as an art work in the society.

The show which is put together by Creative Art Students Association, Unilag in collaboration with Sunday Israel Akpan and supported by Goethe Institute, is expected to be a red carpet event along with other activities.

Ahead of the main event, between 21st to 23rd of May, the organizers are planning to hold a three day workshop on the act of dance.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, the pioneer of the dancing group, Aralamo, Mr. Sunday Akpan, described it as not just a dance piece, but a movie and a story, stressing that dance to him “is a profession and career.”

Akpan, one of the youngest dancer in the Nigeria said, ‘Aralamo’ is beyond its literary meaning.

“ Aralamo is about what goes on in the mind; it is about reasons why people do certain things which are not known at the surface.

Born in Orile, a settlement which he described as Geto, he explained how life was in ‘Geto’, (a place where life is about survival of the fittest) and how he discovered himself within the setting.

“We started there on the street, we played with sand, we played with water, and gradually it came to our consciousness that we could make something good out of some of those things we were doing,” he said.

“My first film show was done in Adeolu Street in Lagos. We have had a performance in Germany and also expected to be in be South America, Europe and South Africa next year.”

He said he had gotten a message for the children on the street because he was once in their shoes. His message is simple and short, “you can get off the street if I can.”

On his vision for the children on the street, he said he was determined to help as many as possible and make them responsible in the society.

According to him, “for instance, when I came back to Nigeria after the Germany show, we gave out about 50 shoes to children on the street”, promising to do more in future.

Also speaking at the event was, President, Creative Art Students Association, Unilag, Miss Ife Owosuna said they were collaborating with Sunday Akpan because of the uniqueness of his dance piece.

“Aralamo is unique, and that is why we want to be part of it,” she said.

The Director of Goethe Institute, Mr. Marc- Andre Schmachtel said, his organization discovered Sunday Akpan and decided to support his dream because he was doing something different from others. He said the institute which opened office in City Hall last year had traveled with Sunday Akpan to Germany for performance.

*Story by Dele Adeleye