Dandyism - Luminato Festival 2025

Dandyism

Patrick Ziza Dance

Luminato Festival, Toronto

Costumes by Phillip S Brown

Flamboyant, defiant, and timelessly cool - dandyism transformed resistance into an art of supreme style. Born in the streets of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, this aesthetic of Black jubilation now arrives to the Toronto region as creator Ziza Patrick brings the swagger and splendor of African style to a performance that stops traffic and starts conversations.

Four performers channel the spirit of the Sapeurs - Congo's style revolutionaries who turned fashion into freedom during the colonial era. Through a striking blend of street and contemporary dance, they deliver an unforgettable statement about identity, heritage, and unshakeable pride, embodying an aesthetic that continues to influence global fashion and culture today.

Looking good becomes a radical act.

Creator, Patrick Ziza - 'Inspired by the gentlemen of the Congo, Dandyism is my first creative work realised in 2018. The appropriation of the 18th Century French and English Dandy’s flamboyance was embodied by African men as a defence and a provocation against slavery, described by some as a resistance movement. By the 1960’s, African Dandyism had become a subculture phenomenon, and began gaining recognition worldwide.

This dance theatre piece embodies the raw and unrefined energy through rich, ostentatious costumes and expressive movement as a way to convey the dynamism of dances originating in various places across Africa. My intention behind the work is to celebrate life and cool as well as address the nuances concerning humanity such as gender and identity in an attempt to challenge stereotypes.

Dandyism is a testament of what was once regarded as 'Master's style' being reclaimed as a cultural resilience through interweaving a western sartorial elegance with African self expression.'

More info can be found HERE.