FUBUNATION explore the myth of masculinity in Ruins

Interdisciplinary artists and choreographers Rhys Dennis and Waddah Sinada lead an emotional exploration of generational trauma, Black masculinity and the struggle for vulnerability.

FUBUNATION was founded back in 2017 by

dance artists and choreographers Rhys Dennis and Waddah Sinada as a collective and platform with which to create more representation and and visibility for dancers of colour in contemporary dance. Ruins is their ambitious, genre-spanning, multidisciplinary project exploring the myth of masculinity within the Pan-African diaspora. Drawing together live performance, film and photography, Dennis and Sinada lead us on an emotional exploration of gender, identity and the Black experience.

“This work speaks to the generational trauma inherited by men from marginalised groups with the mission of creating a space where the black male figure is more visible & honestly represented in its full complexity,” explain the duo. “Through movement and visual art, FUBUNATION open a dialogue surrounding the myth of masculinity as it is felt within the Pan-African diaspora. They are deconstructing the power struggle within themselves and finding the balance between conflict, vulnerability, and codependency. Addressing and repairing the deep rooted anxieties that black men have learned so well to mask.”

Toeing a delicate line between aggression and intimacy, violence and compassion, Dennis and Sinada enact a complex emotional dialogue in their movement. At once furtive and assertive, they cycle through a dizzying range of moods and tempos, reflective of the ever-changing dynamics of intense male bonds. Flickering between an intense duet and monochrome memories of past trauma, Ruins portrays many the faces of masculinity.

For more information about FUBUNATION and their work you can visit their website and find them on Instagram.

Ruins Credits:

Donnie Sunshine – Editor, Director of Photography, Colourist
Sannchia Gaston – Director of Photography, Edit Assistant, Colourist
Stephanie Berge – Producer
Robia Miliner – Movement Director
Christopher Raeburn – Costumes
Michaela Selway – Production Assistant
James Campbell Wilkie – Music
Aram Zarikian – Drums
James Yates – Drum Engineer

Cast:
Christopher Quagraine
George Rattigan
Glenn Hudson
Johnson Adebayo
Jonny Vieco
Kai’Jaun Dennis
Kirubel Belay
Matthew McCarthy
Micah Mcleod
Muti Musafiri
O’Neil Rochester
Ryan Munroe
Solomon Berrio-Allen
Willem Lock

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