ZAYO by Esie Mensah Creations

ABOUT

ZAYO, by Esie Mensah Creations, is an Afrofusion dance-theatre production rooted in ancestral wisdom and the courage to follow one’s calling. Created over eight years, the piece follows a heroine on a journey as she leaves the familiar, faces trials and sacrifice, and confronts fear to claim her power. Through this journey, ancestral memory is awakened and a chosen destiny is embraced. ZAYO reveals what it takes to step into one’s purpose and emerge transformed. 

At the heart of ZAYO is Esie Mensah’s Afrofusion choreography, shaped by lived experience, ancestral knowledge, and contemporary expression. Drawing from traditional and contemporary West African movement, modern dance, and theatrical elements, the choreography functions as both memoir and ritual. Through ZAYO, Esie reimagines African storytelling aesthetics for the contemporary stage, expanding how African narratives, bodies, and spiritual traditions are experienced today.

ZAYO asks timeless and urgent questions:
– What are you willing to sacrifice for your vision to come to life?
– How do you learn to trust what you cannot yet see?
– And what does it mean to accept the destiny you have chosen for yourself?

ZAYO is both deeply personal and universally resonant. The work emerges from Mensah’s lived experience and ancestral lineage, offering dance as a vessel for remembrance, healing, and transformation. It is a story not of arrival, but of commitment – the commitment to walk into the unknown carrying only what is essential, and to return renewed.

“A thrilling blend of choreographic depth, rich performance, and great music.” ~ NOW Magazine

Do not miss this bold and moving exploration of identity, purpose, and power.

The world premiere of ZAYO is co-produced with dance Immersion, and presented by dance Immersion and TO Live.