Thin line between the perceived reality and the need for social contact and acceptance Now, 25 years on, Dance Umbrella has developed into one of the main platforms for contemporary choreography and dance in Southern Africa.
The dance group will host a three day anniversary season at the Wits Theatre from February 14 -16. The 25th anniversary season will include a series of mixed bills featuring both established and young choreographers. It will also serve as a peek into the main Dance Umbrella at Arts Alive International Festival 2013, from September 1-15.
Opening at the Wits Theatre on February 14, the first programme includes four works: Treasure to a Being by Sonia Radebe, created for Moving into Dance Mophatong; Beautiful Us by Gregory Maqoma, created for Vuyani Dance Theatre and two untitled works by Thabo Kobei and Carly Dibakwane.
On February 15 the programme includes: I Don I can ?, I won t, the result of the Rand Merchant Bank funded, 2012 Dance Xchange professional development residency, at the Garage studios in Okiep, under the guidance of Alfred Hinkel. The work was created by Byron Klassen, Olivia Daniels, Richie Cloete and Marquen Carstens, on the completion of an intensive two week process; an untitled work by Thabo Rapoo; the Tshwane University students work entitled Traffic, choreographed by Sidney Agnew; Jayesperi Moopen's reworked Circles and Squares which was first presented at Dance Umbrella in 1991 and Nthabiseng Segoe's work, Engagement of Love (H2O), which is the result of the Dance Xchange programme in Orange Farm, funded by Rand Merchant Bank.
Also on February 15 at the Wits Theatre foyer is a work choreographed and performed by Athena Mazarakis, Standing By, which weaves together a series of vignettes that delve into the loaded issue of gender-based violence in the South African context, with a specific focus on the 'corrective rape' of lesbians.
Standing By first emerged as a short work originally commissioned by Rhodes University in 2011. It was then developed into a full-length, site-specific work in residency at Goetheon Main in 2012, with the support of the Goethe-Institut South Africa. Now Mazarakis has reworked Standing By into a theatrical context for Dance Umbrella's 25th Anniversary season.
The programme on Saturday, February 16 starts at 18:00 with Ntsoana Dance Theatre's Displacement Powerlines, conceptualised and performed by Humphrey Maleka and Brian Mthembu and directed by Sello Pesa. The 30-minute work explores how technology has encroached on society; and has led to the alteration of traditional games and social interaction, and the emergence of new social rituals, and examines the thin line between the perceived reality and the need for social contact and acceptance.
The second part of the programme starts with So Close To Life, which is choreographed by Charlston van Rooyen from Forgotten Angle Dance Theatre, in collaboration with Thulani Chauke. Two works - Don Quixote and Amakhonokhono, presented by South African Mzansi Ballet; the classic piece Me & You, created by Christopher Kindo, which will be performed by the K-Mad Dance Company.
This brilliant piece of choreography first premiered at Dance Umbrella in 1993 and has since been performed regularly by companies all over South Africa. Between Us, choreographed by Forgotten Angle Dance Theatre's Fana Tshabalala, recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artists Award for Dance 2013, who proves again that he is an interesting dance creator to watch.
For more info call 011 648 7385. 'The presentation weaves together a series of vignettes that delve into the loaded issue of gender-based violence'.
Caption: Left: Sonia Radebe, Above: Fana Tshabalala
Story by: Di Sparks
Source: Inner City Gazette