Mani Obeya is a Nigerian born, British raised dancer, singer/songwriter and choreographer. He trained at Arts Educational School, Ballet Rambert and Dance Theatre of Harlem before becoming a soloist at Stadt Theater Heidelberg, National Theater Mannheim and Unterwegs Theater Heidelberg. This was followed by 4 years working with TanzTheater Wien under the direction of Liz King. Guest choreographers included Catherine Guerin, Nigel Charnock and Simon Frearson before becoming a soloist at the Volksoper Wien where he danced and co-choreographed until 2003. He later was a guest performer with The Forsythe Company.
He also became a member of Michael Keegan Dolan`s Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre performing worldwide for over a decade before Michael disbanded the company and reformed it as Teac Damsa. He has been Michael’s assistant and Rehearsal Director for several years and is currently on a worldwide tour of the multi-award winning work Swan Lake / Loch na Heala.
Since 2004 he has been the singer and songwriter with the Viennese electronic/rock band Sofa Surfers with whom he has won 2 Amadeus awards, currently touring their latest album “20”.
He has been a Choreographer at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Deutsches Theater Berlin, Stadt Theater Hannover, Bremen and Schauspielhaus Dresden.
He works internationally on youth programmes such as on projects with young people living in slum areas of Nairobi, Kenya or creating work with asylum seekers recently arriving in Austria.
10.04.2018
