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‘89

Joana Dias

‘89 (working title) is Joana Dias’ debut contemporary circus solo, blending aerial hoop, song, dance and immersive sound. Drawing on her Portuguese and Angolan heritage, Dias reflects on the disappearance of her father in 1989, the year she was born, to explore themes of memory, race and identity.

Visually striking and multilingual, the piece moves fluidly between tenderness and bold theatricality. Dias’ physicality, looping and searching without settling, mirrors the restless nature of the diasporic experience. Fragments of family conversation intertwine with breathless movement, where humour and joy rise alongside loss.

‘89 is a powerful and atmospheric work for anyone interested in stories that cross cultures, reframe history and find beauty in the in-between.

  • Premiere: Spring 2027

    Set-up: Indoors or site-specific

    Duration: 40–60 minutes

    Age guidance: 8+

    Touring party: 3 people (performer, rigger/counterweight, technician)

    Skills: Aerial hoop, dance, voice

    Minimum stage dimensions: 7m (depth) x 7m (width) x 6m (height)

    Rigging: Two rigging points — one centre stage, one side stage

  • Devised and performed by: Joana Dias

    Directed by: Vicki Amedume

    Dramaturgy/Written by: Nuna

    Original music: Finn Anderson

    Lighting design: Joshie Harriette (TBC)

    Movement Direction: (TBC)

    Costume Design: (TBC)

    Rigger/Counterweight: Graeme Clint

    Production / Tour Booking: Yellow Everything

    With thanks to: Fae Fintcher, Graciette Dias

  • Joana offer a wide range of wrap-around activities, including: post-show discussions, hoop workshops, dance workshops. Available for all ages and levels.

  • Joana is a Portuguese Black artist and creator working across singing, theatre, dance, and circus. She began performing from a young age, with early appearances on Portuguese television, national ballroom dance competitions, and musical theatre productions. She trained at Chapitô, a circus school in Lisbon, and graduated from the National Centre for Circus Arts in London in 2014, specialising in aerial hoop and developing skills as an acrobatic flyer.

    She has toured both in the UK and internationally with a wide range of companies, including Upswing, Mimbre, Cirque Bijou, BMT, Silver Lining, Cirkus Cirkör, Ella Mesma Company, Imagineer Productions, Superfan Performance, Nikki & JD, and Lost Dog. Her performance work spans solo pieces, acrobatic duets, ensemble shows, as well as cabarets, cruise performances, and corporate events.

    Currently, Joana is entering a new artistic phase — developing her first solo show,’89. Her work draws on her mixed cultural heritage and is driven by a commitment to emotionally resonant storytelling that explores themes of identity, belonging, and transformation.

  • For more information, check availability, please contact Axel Satgé: axel@yelloweverything.com.

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