Yemi A.D.


Yemi Akinyemi Dele is a Czech choreographer, art director, performer, correspondent and artist. Yemi’s constant exploration of diverse cultures from around the world has been the core of his own art, philosophy and creations.

Life and career

Yemi was born in Liberec to a Nigerian father and a Czech mother. Yemi’s father studied University of Economics Prague. When Yemi was four year old, his father visited his parents in Nigeria, however he was arrested due to armed coup and could not return to Czech Republic for another 18 years. Yemi’s mother remarried and Yemi grew up with a step father. After few years, Yemi contacted his father again and now he lives with his whole family in Prague.
Yemi publicly presents his homosexual orientation and supports LGBTQ+ community. He lives with his partner in Prague in registered marriage.

Career

At the age of sixteen, Yemi moved to Prague because of education and work. Soon he began to teach dance in Netherlands and Sweden and study Street dance in Los Angeles at a famous Hollywood dance school .
In 1999 Yemi returned to Prague, Czech Republic where he has founded JAD Dance Company, comprising of Czech & international team of dancers & choreographers. Yemi’s works and performances have been well received in many cities around the world including Tokyo, London, Barcelona, Bombay, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Paris and New York.
With his interest in art, Yemi completed a degree at the , focusing on Art Directing & Copy-writing.
Yemi also produced first music video of Ben Cristovao or art clip of an american rapper Turbo T. Double called ATOMS.
According to Yemi, his vision or driving force was "to showcase modern dance choreography throughout the world that reflects current global feelings, emotions and consciousness". He strives to use dance expression to represent the human connection with a fusion of cultures and societies. Yemi's never ending desire is to motivate young people to develop their talents and to be unafraid of searching for their individual authenticity and explore their roots.

JAD Dance Company

Through , he was able to share the unique dance styles, which were previously unavailable and unknown, in the post-communist Czech Republic and to its dancers. Since its inception, it has attracted accomplished dancers from all over the Czech Republic & Slovakia with its reputation for representing a truly unique and high caliber of dance techniques. He focused at his original dance style called Street FUSION. One notable work of JAD Dance Company is their collaboration with Kanye West as his principal dancers in his 'Runaway. Later on, Yemi eventually also set up a ; in which people from diverse age groups and ability/experience in dance can come and learn various dance styles such as Hip-Hop, Modern Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, MTV style, Dance Hall etc. from choreographers with diverse nationalities. After various training/practice session, some students at DAP are given the opportunity to perform live in the streets of Prague, in stages for various corporations and occasions as well as in local and international competitions.

Work With Kanye West

In 2010, hip-hop rapper Kanye West hired Yemi to choreograph ballet inspired sequence in the Runaway of the “Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” album. The piece was well received and Kanye West commissioned Yemi to create choreography for West's Runaway performance in Los Angeles for VMA's 2010 and for Saturday Night Life performance of "Power" and "Runaway". The collaboration continued with Yemi creating choreography for other songs of the "Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" album for Kanye West's global tour. West tweeted about Yemi. Yemi was also quoted in GQ Magazine regarding Kanye West

Work with Charlie Straight

The following year 2011, Charlie Straight, a Czech indie-rock band, asked Yemi to direct their music video, “” which was later awarded the Music Video of the Year in 2011 by MTV Czech.

Other works

As a performer, Yemi has acted in several foreign productions such as, Red Tails, “Unfaithful Klara” and the Czech series, “Ordinace V Růžové Zahradě“. Yemi also performed and led choreographies of 6 series of the most popular TV show on TV Nova - Tvoje tvář má známý hlas.
Yemi was also the first Czech correspondent for MTV Europe and became the host of a popular Czech TV show, ESO.
As a dancer, he performed in a principal role in the original Czech musical, Monte Cristo for two years.
In 2013 Yemi released his debut maxisingl Equals.
In 2014, Yemi was chosen by the readers of MF Dnes among the 24 most influential personalities in the Czech Republic.
Since 2017, Yemi is one of the first Czech ambassadors of sustainable development goals and one of the three Goodwill Ambassadors for Ministry of foreign affairs in Czech Republic.
In February 2019, American TV station CBS began to broadcast new talent show The World’s Best and Yemi was chosen to be among 50 professional judges from all around the world.

Choreography