50 YEARS OF DANCE – JAZZART DANCE THEATRE CELEBRATORY FESTIVAL. Artscape Theatre.
SHEILA CHISHOLM attended the Gala Evening
Watching Jazzart this past week I reminisced about the odyssey this company has travelled since 1973. That’s when Sonja Mayo founded Jazzart as the first modern dance and jazz studio open to students of all races. That alone was one hurdle Jazzart overcame to reach this significant Golden Anniversary celebration.
In a short video clip Sue Parker, Artistic Director 1978-1982, saluted Jazzart’s milestone. She spoke of her pride at being part of their successes. After Parker, Val Steyn held the helm till the hugely talented Alfred Hinkel became Artistic Director. For the next 24 years, he led the company to unimagined heights. His provocative, well structured, narrative ballets made strong technical and dramatisation demands on his dancers. Unforgettable was Cargo – a full length narrative ballet describing the atrocities of slave trading.
Hinkel was followed by Jackie Manyaapelo and then Sifiso Kweyama. The inspired appointment of Dane Hurst as Artistic Director in 2020 has proven a turning point, with technical and artistic standards notably higher and an overall self-confidence within the company.
A celebration and a stellar future
The 50 Years of Dance Gala Evening featured seven items. Hurst’s Injongo opened the evening. Meaning “intention”, Hurst’s choreographic intention successfully displayed why dance, music and song form a whole.
I Am an African, the sentence made famous by Thabo Mbeki made famous in 1996 when honouring our new constitution, has been set to music by Tristan Barton, with choreographer Sifiso Kweyama creating his piece for 20 male and female dancers. Using modified traditional dance movements, exotic patterns, claps, stamps, energetic jumps, shapes and mime, Kweyama asks “are we proud to identify ourselves as African?”.
Listen to my Hands, choreographed by deaf dancer Andile Vellem and Yaseen Manuel brought insight into the use of sign language as a way of telling stories.
Taking the lead, Vellem set his dancers behind a stunningly lit cyclorama, where in silence, viewers witnessed figures conversing through hand and body configurations. From sign language, Vellem’s inventive choreography flowed into technical bravura.
To each and every ballet lighting designer Rob Hoffman composed aesthetically spectacularly dazzling lighting plots. Together with relevant music choices, and Jenni Stretch and Rachmat Salie’s theme appropriate, co-ordinated costumes, the company attained a performance level worthy of acknowledging Jazzart Theatre’s 50th Anniversary as well as revealing a stellar future.
What: 50 Years of Dance – Jazzart Dance Theatre Celebratory Festival
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