Life & Work with Nii Okwei Engmann

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nii Okwei Engmann.

Hi Nii, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
Thanks so much again for having me. I’m a first-generation Ghanaian born in Toronto, Canada. Dance has been a part of my life since I was in the womb. Being African, dance is a cultural experience more than anything. We danced at church, weddings, birthdays, funerals, weddings just because, etc., haha. I also grew up in a very musical family – my dad can play any percussion instrument with unreal quality within 15 minutes of picking it up, and my mom is a singer. So, my brothers and I grew up not only with music around us but playing instruments as well. I play the Tenor Sax, Bass and sing. I also grew up composing music for fun and did it throughout high school and college for the various music clubs I was involved in Vancouver, Canada. Mario Matias ran a dance program at the school, and I joined it for vibes. It wasn’t until September 2012 when my love for dance really took root, after watching WOD Vancouver. It had crews such as NXG Company (Alex Chung), TwoFourSeven (Jerome Esplana, Carlo Atienza, Roberta Bierman, Jon Bongato), PG Fam (Kolanie Marks) and many other amazing crews competing. After the I started training in HipHop and Popping and taking choreography classes at Studio604, and the rest is history. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been smooth haha. I would say my biggest challenges were/are balancing my education with my newfound love for dance and being one of the only black men in my dance community. I mean you could count how many black men were in the Vancouver Street Dance and Choreography community on your hands haha. That was my superpower and my kryptonite. At times, it lent itself to my individuality… at other times, I stood out more than was thought necessary. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I appreciate that a lot. I’m an International Teacher, a Choreographer for Film, Commercial, and Stage, a dancer, and an all-around artist. I specialize in good music, haha. Whatever feels authentic to where I am in life is what pulls me. Culturally I do have an affinity to African styles of music and movement. I have so many moments I’m proud of – but I think the most special moments are those that center around sharing my culture. Whether that is in a class setting or for an industry job, my culture is a very big part of who I am and also, I feel like what sets me apart from others. Watching people experience, enjoy, and respect my culture will never get old. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’ve been in a period of self-discovery for the past few years. I’m striving to understand myself: Why I show up the way I do, what my actions are rooted in (love or fear/trauma). And in understanding myself better I’ve been able to show up as my most true self. In showing up as my most authentic self, I’ve been able to give, receive, manifest so many things that I was closed off to because I wasn’t ready/aware of that realm of myself. So, I would say take the time to understand who you are. The good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful… and in doing so, you’ll experience life with so much more clarity and purpose than you ever would have been able to! 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @princenii

Image Credits
Richie Lubaton Photography
Christine Wang Photography