Yemi A.D.

Yemi Akinyemi Dele (born 4 November 1981) is a Czech multidisciplinary creative and serial entrepreneur. In December 2022, he was selected as one of eight crew members for dearMoon, a cancelled commercial lunar space mission.

Life and career

Yemi Akinyemi Dele was born in 1981 in Communist Czechoslovakia and grew up in Liberec. He was raised by Nigerian father who had previously studied at the University of Economics in Prague, and by Czech mother. At the age of four, his father was arrested as part of an armed coup and could not return to Czech Republic for another 18 years. With the advent of internet connectivity in Eastern Europe, Yemi utilized his technological skills to locate his long-lost father, resulting in the rediscovery of his father and an extended family unit.

Career

At the age of sixteen, Yemi moved to Prague for education and work. Soon, he began to teach dance in the Netherlands and Sweden and study Street dance in Los Angeles at MaDonna Grimes, a Hollywood dance school.

In 1999, Yemi returned to Prague, Czech Republic, where he founded JAD Dance Company (JAD DC), a Czech and international team of dancers and 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.

Yemi also produced the first music video for Ben Cristovao and the music video of American rapper Turbo T. Double's song ATOMS.

JAD Dance Company

Through JAD Dance Company (JAD DC), he focused on his original dance style called Street FUSION. One notable work of JAD Dance Company is their collaboration with Kanye West as his principal (main) dancers in his 'Runaway (2010 film). Later on, Yemi eventually also set up Dance Academy Prague (DAP); 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 (up to date, Yemi teaches Street FUSHION in DAP). After various training/practice sessions, 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.

JAD Production

In 2010, Yemi founded the globally award-winning production company, JAD Productions, whose portfolio includes clients such as Google, Apple, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, adidas Originals and Mercedes Benz. In 2022, JAD was also recognized for its digital innovation and non-profit initiative responses to pandemic challenges in Central Europe called Anti-Panic. JAD’s original productions range from Teniskology, a European sneaker festival; to Ynspirology, a music, art & culture festival; to Cycles, an immersive theatrical experience.

Work with Kanye West

In 2010, the 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, who 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, "School Beauty Queen", which was later awarded the Music Video of the Year in 2011 by MTV Czech.

Moonshot Platform

In 2021, Yemi founded Moonshot Platform Inc., a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization previously operating from Europe, whose mission is to seek and accelerate emerging leaders and their organizations around the world who work on solutions to the 21st Century Grand Challenges & SDGs focused innovations. The platform, supported by former U.S. Secretary Madeleine Albright, hosted five conferences across Europe and the U.S. in 2021 with over 650 C-level change-makers, 60 international speakers and reached over three million people.

In 2022 the platform hosted Moonshot Awards - The Global search for social innovators that received applications from 88 countries. Moonshot is also committed to provide mentorship to its members and hosted Moonshot Young Leaders Camp for 50 young change makers and their senior mentors in Massachusetts in 2023.

Other works

As a performer, Yemi has acted in several foreign productions such as '' Chronicles of Narnia II - Prince Caspian'', Red Tails, ''and Unfaithful Klara.'' (Italy, 2009)

He has delivered interactive seminars about the future of intergenerational creativity as a keynote at TEDx and the Czech Singularity University Summit (2019).

Spaceflight

In 2021, Yemi A.D. submitted an application for the dearMoon mission, a privately funded mission to orbit the moon backed by Yusaku Maezawa. This initiative sought eight individuals from diverse creative backgrounds to make the journey to the moon aboard a SpaceX Starship. In the spring of 2022, Yemi successfully secured a spot in the preliminary group of 20 candidates.

Yemi's selection for the lunar mission was confirmed on December 8, 2022. Following delays to the Starship program, the mission was cancelled in 2024.

Choreography

* ''"Runaway" – "Runaway Movie" '' (2010)
* ''Saturday Night Live – "Runaway" & "Power" performances for Kanye West'' (2010)
* ''MTV Video Music Awards'' (2010)
* ''Coachella Festival'' (2011)
* '' Mawazine Festival'' (2011)
* '' Splendour In The Grass Festival'' (2011)
* ''European Festival Tour (Lisbon, Portugal / Herdforshire, UK / Bergen, Norway / Oslo, Norway / Copenhagen, Denmark / Gothenburg, Sweden / Helsinki, Finland / Krakow, Poland)'' (2011)
* ''XBOX Modern Warfare 3 Convention (Los Angeles, CA); Essence Festival (New Orleans, LA)'' (2011)
* '' SummerFest Festival'' (2011)
* ''Austin City Limits Music Festival'' (2011)
* '' Big Day Out Australian Tour'' (2012)

Direction and production

* Internet Viral Campaign ''–'' for NIC.CZ
* Music Video Ben Cristovao – "Give Me Some More"
* Music Video Charlie Straight – "School Beauty Queen"
* Music Video for MISTA – "Never Hide"
* Music Video Kanye West – "Lost In The World"
* Music Video for Polica ''–'' "Wandering Star"

Awards

* 24 Most Influential People in Czech Republic voted by MF Dnes, most respected Czech Daily Press (2010)

References

External links

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1981 births
Living people
Czech choreographers
Czech people of Nigerian descent
Czech art directors
Czech LGBTQ artists
Artists from Liberec