Forced into Reflection ... (Review by Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy)
When August rolls by Durban becomes abuzz with dance fever
with artists from across the globe congregating at JOMBA! This year the
contemporary dance festival turns 28. And as someone who has danced at the
festival, stage-managed, tech'd and attended roughly 25 opening nights, it is
my 'not so secret' pleasure to review this year's opening.
The night began like many festivals gone by with the address by the head of the Centre for Creative Arts, Ismail Mohamed, who reminded us of the longevity of the festival and the wondrous contributions that the CCA have made in the arts world in Durban. He peaked our interest with a teaser of the slam poetry festival that will bring 80 poets from 40 nations to the stages in Durban.
I must admit, the opening night is made special by the thought-provoking words of artistic director, Dr Lliane Loots, or what Mohamed jokingly called the state of the nation address. I find as an artist that no other speech jolts my creative activism like this address by Dr Loots. Aside from announcing the theme for this year, Choreographies of Activism, Dr Loots began by announcing the Lifetime Achievement Award that went to Dr Ismail Mohamed for his long-standing contributions to the arts in South Africa, and his astonishing accomplishments.
We were also reminded of the sad passing of Peter Rorvik, who was formerly the head of the CCA. This news carried a heavy weight as I remembered all the great work that Rorvik did while I worked on the festival. Rorvik will be remembered for his extraordinary contributions to the arts. Both Rorvik and Mohamed (and the CCA) have played a vital role in shaping constitutional democracy of our country.
JOMBA! turns 28 this year, thus making it one of the longest-running contemporary dance festivals in the world. This year's 13 days of dance brings local and international artists to the stages of The Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Stables Theatre, Square Space Theatre and the KZNSA Gallery.
Through this festival, dancing bodies found an audience and created a space where the ever-dangerous world can be critiqued and challenged. Through Dr Loots' speech we are reminded of Gramski's words of a world that is dying and a new one being born and it is at this juncture that arts play a crucial role in shaped the rebirth of a society.
In a world of forced removals, wars, destruction and erosion of democratic freedom it falls upon artists to become activists. We question whose body is allowed to be seen, and whose removed. This Festival asks the body to be present! Dance has the capacity to be disruptive and shift perception. We are reminded that Africa is a continent of movement and that we must refuse erasia.
The opening night paid tribute to a legacy artist in South Africa, PJ Sabbagha. His choreography NOAH, opened the festival. It symbolized immersion in a moment of crisis and represented bodies that carry the memories of death and survival of violence. The song 'flock of birds' reminds us of the migration needed to survive harsh climates both natural and political. The piece explores shadows of bodies against a video of bodies submerged in water. This exemplifies the sense of cleansing, water that is constantly moving and the force that is created through this movement. The choreography is simple but thought-provoking and mimicked the theme perfectly. I enjoyed the use of light and dark to create captivating images on stage.
I am definitely intrigued to see what else the festival has to offer. The programme can be found on the JOMBA! website. Shows run daily until Sunday September 6. This festival deserves an audience so that the message of challenge through dance can be shared. See you at the festival. - Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy
To visit the JOMBA website, click on the Centre for Creative Arts logo advert to the right of this article.
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