FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 launches

Last edited: February 05, 2010

Posted by Business and Arts South Africa

This is the 22nd year of new contemporary dance and choreography at Dance Umbrella from 27 February to 14 March.

FNB Dance Umbrella 2010, presented by First National Bank in association with the National Arts Council and The Market Theatre will run from 27 February to 14 March 2010 with performances at various Johannesburg theatres: the Wits Theatre in Braamfontein, the UJ Centre for the Arts in Auckland Park, and The Dance Factory, The Market Theatre and the Barney Simon theatre in Newtown.

Stepping Stones 1 and 2 will take place at the Wits Theatre on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28 from 10:00 onwards. All the Stepping Stone stalwarts such as Dr Ranjit Lalloo’s Jhankhaar School of Dance from Lenasia, Linda Lee Mhlongo and many others form part of this jam-packed two-day programme. Entrance is free.

The FNB Dance Umbrella main programme will have a grand opening with a once-off programme in a marquee on the parking area in front of The Dance Space, Newtown on Monday 1 March from 19:00. A programme of excerpts from FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 commissioned works will be presented and will set the mood for two weeks of contemporary dance at its best. Also included in the programme will be the presentation of the Pick of the Stepping Stones Awards, funded this year by the National Arts Council. Limited seating is available and tickets will be sold at the door.

The Main programme opens with San, a new work created by Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe, which can be seen at the Dance Factory on March 2 and 3 at 19:00. San looks at the journeys and spirits of the Khoi-san people: They/we are the travellers; they/we are hunters; they/we seek for the new ways to improve culture; they/we are the part and parcel of this life form; they/we are the product of a small seed - a seed that wants to spread itself like the wild sea; they/we are humouring ourselves with ideas that make us happy, sad, angry, love, cry, hate, possessive with beauty/ugliness, nakedness and self pity.

Black!... White? by Nelisiwe Xaba will be presented at the Market Theatre on March 2 and 3 and 4 at 20:30. This work explores the themes of racial and social stereotyping and how these distort people’s perceptions of one another. The issues are explored using the socio-economic climate of present-day South Africa as the setting for the narrative, keeping in mind that stereotyping and discrimination are not exclusively South African phenomena, but are universal. At present, discrimination is still rife in South Africa although the criterion has shifted from race, to class and economic power. The performance will ask the question of whether we benefit from focusing on what makes people different from one another - how do our interactions change when we begin to see our similarities or when we are forced on to an equal standing through circumstances beyond our control?

Durban-based choreographer Musa Hlatshwayo has created a new dance theatre choreo-poem called Moses that explores the politics of identity post former President Thabo Mbeki’s ‘I-am-an-African’ era. The work follows a socio-political dream that unfolds into an experience led by two youngsters whose journey leads them to challenges that rob them of their youth. Silence is a major part of the journey while submission is a subconscious reaction mode. Perhaps a reflection of those who suffer the loss of their innocence in the battles of pride or those whose choices are informed and enforced by the pathways of their leadership as affirmation of their desired identity. The work can be seen at Goethe on Main on March 3 and 4 at 18:30 and is free.

There are various Mixed Bill programmes featuring works from Acty Tang, Sifiso E. Kweyama, Roslyn Wood Morris and Craig Morris, Nicola Elliot, Bailey Snyman and Zingi Mkefa: on March 3 and 4 at 19:30 at the Barney Simon theatre Acty Tang will present Child and Sifiso E. Kweyama Baffling Silence and the Dikamoka Dance Theatre Lufuno-Love; on March 5 and 6 at 19:30 at the Wits Theatre, Refilwe Montsho, Sathembiso Khalishwayo, Sabelo Maphumulo and Mdu Mtshali present untitled works while Kieron Jina presents Facing Shadows and OKaile William Lekasapa presents Spanish Love; on March 6 at 19:00 and March 7 at 15:00 at the Barney Simon theatre Wood-Morris presents Foil, Nicola Elliot presents Story and Bailey Snyman Outside , while two untitled works are presented by Lucky Kele and Zingi Mkefa.

A selection of works, ‘highlights’ of previous FNB Dance Umbrella festivals will be presented at the FNB Gala evening on March 5 at the UJ Arts Centre and includes Dada Masilo’s Unraveling Carmen, an alternative look at Bizet’s Carmen; Gary Gordon’s Go where he looks at life from the perspective of getting older and how at this point the choreographer moves towards new visions, movements and creativity; also Me and You by Christopher Kindo , which he created in the mid-1990’s and has been performed many times since its premiere at the FNB Dance Umbrella and lastly, Black Man… White Balls, a work (put together by Gregory Vuyani Maqoma) that captures the spirit of Soccer using contemporary urban forms of Dance. A special bonus performance of Gula by Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe is the fifth work in this programme. A special preview of this programme is open to the public on March 4 at 20:00.

The Time of Small Berries by Sello Pesa in collaboration with Erf [81] Cultural Collective is at the Dance Factory on March 6 at 19:30 and March 7 at 15:00. It looks at this time in the African calendar when people get together to celebrate, feast and bury things from the past.

Thabo Rapoo has created a new work with Moving into Dance Mophatong which can be seen at the Dance Factory on March 9 and 10 at 20:00. Batsumi is about men being the hunters and women being the gatherers. It looks at the stages of trance men go through before and after hunting and the challenges and journeys they encounter to provide for their families.

On March 13 at 19:30 and March 14 at 14:30 a Triple Bill featuring commissioned works from the Cape Town choreographer Mamela Nyamza and the Johannesburg-based choreographers, Mcebisi Bhayi and William Mbambo takes place at the Dance Factory. Nyamza has created a work called Mendi 2, which is inspired by an event during 1917 involving a group of South African men of diverse descent, who came together for a common cause. The work looks at the multi-faceted nature of men gathering as subscribed by society. Fruitless Tree by Mcebisi Bhayi was inspired by Bhayi’s 2008/09 Asian tour where he was challenged to look at himself and the differences around him. It helped him to understand the concept of existence and non- existence. The last work on the Triple Bill Mzobane by William Mbambo, looks at being in South Africa in the 1980’s and Pantsula Dance, and the role it played in society then.

The final programmes in FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 includes a new work, 1st Draught by Sbonakaliso Ndaba, which she has created on Cape Town’s celebrated Jazzart Dance Theatre company and can be seen at the Market Theatre on March 12 and 13 at 20:15 and March 14 at 15:00. The idea for this work was inspired by a programme seen on 3rd Degree that dealt with illegal mineworkers. How far does one go in terms of searching for what will allow us to take the next breath, in order for us to simply survive? Some people are prepared to go into mine shafts six storeys underground; enter the mine gates illegally and pay security guards thousands of Rands to do so.

Other un-commissioned works that can be seen at the FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 include: “elev(i)ate”, an interactive installation by choreographer Athena Mazarakis and digital artist Tegan Bristow which can be seen at the Market theatre Foyer on March 3 and 4 at various times. Mazarakis and Bristow have worked together on two previous projects, Coming To (2007) and Chalk vision (2007) and wish to further their collaboration between the moving body and a digital arts interface in this new project ‘’elev(i)ate” explores the possibility of an unmediated, direct and intimate meeting between members of a dance audience and a dance work. As a performer within the installation, Mazarakis invites an interaction with members of the audience and explores the poetic value of a simple dance ‘lift’ as the currency of exchange within this meeting.

Also on March 3 and 4, at the Barney Simon Theatre from 19:30 is a Triple Bill featuring works from Acty Tang from Grahamstown, Sifiso E. Kweyama and Dikamoka Dance Theatre from Johannesburg.

Konexion choreographed by French dance company Wanted Posse is scheduled for the Market Theatre on March 5 and 6 at 20:30 and March 7 at 14:30. With the 21st century bringing exchange and mixing, Konexion is an appropriate creation which illustrates the result of a dialogue between cultures; a conversation where everyone has something to say and a gesture to share. Whether it is break-dance or gumboots, house or Pantsula, Hip Hop or Kwaito, what emerges from this is a dialogue between bodies converging in the same direction. Konexion will be created after a residency in February 2010 in Johannesburg with Jerry Zenzile from Indigenous Dance Academy and three other South African dancers.

Asymptote, choreographed by Frauke and Orlando, is an Ankoku Butoh dance that explores the materiality of the body and its relationship to the natural world. This avant-garde Japanese dance form has inspired, mainly through its originating spirit Tatsumi Hijikata and his principal performer Yoko Ashikawa, a seemingly inexhaustible exploration into the realm of body consciousness. Asymptote is a Butoh dance that celebrates our physical materiality, a world in which the individual is infinitely connected to the elemental, mathematical, and patterned nature of our ecosystem. It is at the Barney Simon Theatre, Market Theatre Newtown on March 9 and 10 at 20:00.

On March 9, 10 and 11 at 20:15 there is a Double Bill at the Market Theatre which features Umfula Wa Ma Dada by Dada Masilo, a work she created in residency in Israel. Dancemotion, (Israel) an Association of three dance training programmes, proposed a work for presentation at FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 and invited Masilo to spend a month in Israel teaching and creating a new work for 12 Israeli and three South African dancers. In October 2009 she began creating a solo for herself, exploring new ways of moving in an attempt to create a fresh vocabulary - this was the starting point for Umfula Wa Ma Dada. For FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 Masilo will be joined by members of the original cast. Umfula Wa Ma Dada is inspired by the music of Tchaikovsky; and Indlela by Luyanda Sidiya which is inspired by the different paths human beings take to ‘find ourselves’. Indlela is a notion that looks at points of change in our lives, moments of distinction, a turning point in one’s life that determined one’s path, within personal lives, artistic lives and otherwise. Where we are (the Present) what influenced the present to exist (maybe the Past) should we dwell on the past or should we possibly look at shaping our future, (the Future) does the future exist already or is it waiting for us to build it? Dancers performing in this work are Martin van Heerden, Nombulelo Mashiqa, Thabiso Lekuba, Phuthi Mojela, Itumeleng Hlapane and Luyanda Sidiya.

Boyzie Cekwana returns to the FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 with an internationally acclaimed work called Part 1: Influx Controls… I wanna be wanna be... Cekwana looks at the difference of being black and white and how whiteness is reflected as being good and how this reflects on our lives. Cekwana can be seen on March 11 and 12 at the Dance Factory at 19:30.

Reunion-based choreographer Eric Languet will present a work called Faux Ciels (Fake Skies) at the Barney Simon Theatre on March 12 and 13 at 18:30, 19:30 and 20:30. This is an interactive work with the audience which will look at what can, and cannot, be said through dance and will explore the borders between a dancer and his/her audience in an intimate space. A maximum of 10 people will be allowed per performance. Please book your seats for this performance by phoning 011 492 0709.

iKapa Dance Theatre will be staging the much acclaimed avant-garde production, The Stadium, choreographed by South African Andile Sotiya, at the UJ Centre for the Arts on March 12 and 13 at 19:30. The production uses the cultural complexity of stadiums as urban, creative spaces to re-evaluate the dominance of high-art in a world that is increasingly being characterised by the triumph of the popular. The choreography revolves around games, issues and athletic dancing; breaking down the barriers that inhibit us to play with the pieces of our urban existence. This, according to Sotiya, is especially relevant in South Africa where stadiums are used for cultural events as diverse as concerts, political rallies, sports games and even funerals.

A series of Master Classes will also be offered during the FNB Dance Umbrella 2010. Starting from March 1 to 5 Nigel Charnock from Britain will do a series of workshops which will focus on bringing out creativity in dancers. Charnock has been brought to the FNB Dance Umbrella with assistance from the British Council. The second series will run from March 8 to13 and will be facilitated by Israeli dancer/teacher Dana Ruttenberg. Ruttenberg is in South Africa with assistance from the National Arts Council and Tararam.

Once again, for the two weeks of the FNB Dance Umbrella, from Tuesday to Friday at 1pm in the Market Theatre foyer, there will be a series of Face-to-Face interviews and discussions, hosted by the highly respected dance writer Adrienne Sichel. Sichel will speak to selected choreographers regarding their works and the FNB Dance Umbrella. Artists to be interviewed include Vincent Mantsoe and Nelisiwe Xaba; Musa Hlatshwayo and Athena Mazarakis; Master class teacher Nigel Charnock talking about DV8 and where he is today; Frauke on Butoh; Sello Pesa and Thabo Rapoo; Eric Languet from Reunion and Boyzie Cekwana; also Sbo Ndaba, Mcebisi Bhayi and Mamela Nyamza.

The FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 has been made possible with assistance from First National Bank and the National Arts Council. Other partners include The Market Theatre; The French Institute of South Africa; the French Embassy in South Africa, Culturesfrance; Business and Arts South Africa; The Goethe-Institute of Johannesburg; The British Council; and Media partners: Citizen CitiVibe, ClassicFeel Magazine and Artslink.co.za.

Tickets for the FNB Dance Umbrella are available at the door or can be booked at Computicket - 083 915 8000 and prices range from R60 to R100. Concessions/block bookings and subscription tickets are available. Booking opens in February 2010.

For further information please contact 011 492 0709/2033 or click .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to send an e-mail. The FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 hot-line for updates and programme schedules is 072 703 9332. For more information please click here.