Joy Isn't Always Joy by Joseph Toonga

The Body Black Festival

Three performers stand against a dark curtain. The central figure has an afro and wears a blue, yellow, and black wrap over denim, with a white patterned jersey. He looks upward with wide eyes, hands raised in an expressive gesture. Two other men stand behind him in similar jerseys, one wearing a yellow durag and the other with braided hair, both looking on with serious expressions.
Photo by Karin Jonkers

About Joy Isn't Always Joy by Joseph Toonga

A raw, emotionally charged performance that explores the inner struggles of Black men. Joy Isn’t Always Joy by Joseph Toonga is a hip hop theatre work confronting imposed stereotypes, loneliness, and the pressure to remain composed – even when joy becomes a mask.

At the same time, the work creates space for connection and reflection. It centres brotherhood as a form of care – where vulnerability, tenderness, and shared experience become a source of strength. This idea is shaped in part by aquilombamento – a Brazilian concept rooted in histories of collective resistance, where communities come together to create spaces of protection, belonging, and mutual support.

The production has been developed in close collaboration with Brazilian artists and a Brazilian clinical psychotherapist, embedding lived experience, cultural perspective, and psychological reflection into the creative process.

This performance will be followed by a Post Show Talk facilitated by Independent Artists, Kurtis 'Kurtysift' Agyekum.

There is an extraordinary sincerity in everything the dancers do … It is an enriching experience

Theaterkrant

About Joseph Toonga

Joseph Toonga is a choreographer and director whose work sits at the intersection of Hip Hop, theatre, and social commentary. His practice explores identity, masculinity, mental health, and the lived experiences of Black men, often centring vulnerability and care. Toonga is the Artistic Director of Just Us Dance Theatre, creating work that is physically powerful and emotionally honest. His previous works include Born to Manifest (2019), created with The Royal Ballet, alongside Born to Protest (2021) and Born to Exist (2022), presented at Theaterfestival Boulevard. His work invites reflection, empathy, and dialogue.

Cast and Creatives

Choreographer: Joseph Toonga

Dancers: Peterson Napoleão (Sidy), Alexsander Afonso Costa (Mumu), Leonardo Laureano and Joseph Toonga

Composer: Michael 'Mikey J' Asante MBE

Costume Designer: Jess Louzada

Producer: Mayara Mota

Assistant Producer: Maria Vitória Motta

Dramaturge: Peggy Olislaegers

Rehearsals Director: Amanda Souza

Credits

Co-producer and commissioned Theaterfestival Boulevard and Joseph Toonga Creates, supported by Centro Coreográfico da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro and Just Us Dance Theatre.

  • A close-up shot of a performer in a white and yellow jersey wearing a large, ornate crown made of gold-toned afro combs. His face is glistening with sweat under bright blue and purple stage lights as he holds his hands to the sides of his head with a focused, intense expression.
  • Three performers stand against a black backdrop. The central figure wears a blue, yellow, and white and looks upward with raised hands. Two men stand behind him in matching attire.
  • A dynamic stage shot featuring a performer in the foreground blurred by movement. Their hand is raised to their temple in a sharp gesture that, through forced perspective, appears to be touching the forehead of a second performer standing further back. This second figure is in sharp focus, standing stationary under a cool blue spotlight and looking toward the side.
  • A person in a white and yellow shirt with ruffled orange shoulders and blue and yellow striped pants stands against a black background, arms raised with hands open, illuminated by dramatic top-down lighting.