(Fana Tshabalala 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance. Pic:
Suzy Bernstein)
The Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner 2013 for Dance is
Fana Tshabalala.
Born in Sebokeng in 1987, Tshabalala believes that the
creative process of contemporary dance and the opportunity to work with strong
role models has helped him to appreciate his abilities and encouraged him to
achieve his own success.
Fana Tshabalala started his career in the performing arts
industry through his involvement with various community groups. His varied
roles include acting (Sonqoba Cultural Group and Motswako Performing Artists),
being an Assistant Director (Vuku Zenzele Cultural Group), working as a dancer
(Pheelo Dance Company and Vaal Sounds Chorus) and working as a dance director
for Vuka African Artists.
“The day I got accepted to be part of the Moving Into Dance
Mophatong (MIDM) training course in 2006 was when I knew I wanted to pursue
dance as a career,” said Tshabalala. “During the same year, at my graduation,
my whole family came, and that was one of the significant moments in my career,
when my family had a privilege to understand what I am really doing.”
He enrolled for a FETC in Performing Arts at Moving Into Dance
Mophatong. As part of his studies he choreographed a solo dance work entitled As it is two in one (initially entitled Conversation between HE and he), which
he performed on the FNB Dance Umbrella’s Stepping Stones platform in 2007. The
following year, he presented his solo entitled Ukunxanwa at FNB Dance Umbrella.
“As a young artist I think I have a responsibility to bring
a change in the community through my work, tackling the current issues and
bringing solutions so that the next generation can learn from them, and when
they start creating they also become relevant in their work,” said Tshabalala.
He honed his skills as a member of the MIDM Performance
Company, showing his performance flair in various productions such as Hanano by Vincent Mantsoe, Batsumi by Thabo Rapoo and in the dance
piece, Threads by Sylvia Glasser and
Lebo Mashile. Tshabalala also applied his teaching skills in the MIDM Open
Class programme, with his choreographic talent effectively used in projects
such as the Rock Challenge, which reaches over 3,000 participants from
different schools in Gauteng; and running a site-specific project as a
Choreographer and Artistic Director with different community groups in Soweto,
Alexandra, Diepsloot and Tembisa; aiming to create new outside performance
spaces, so that the communities can utilise what is already available.
“One of the activities I do when I am not at work is to
spend time with kids from the Kliptown youth programme, working on short dance
movies. I’d love to do it more,” he said.
In 2009/2010 he had the opportunity to work with European
choreographer Michel Keleminis and toured France for six months, playing the
role of Anatom in L’Amoureuse de Monsieur
Muscle; also working with Kelemenis on his new solo That side. He also performed his own work Lost and Found in Avignon, and facilitated dance workshops for
different schools in France.
“David April has been one of the people who have mentored me
when I started, and he also taught me how things work in the industry, and
later in my life I met my god-father in dance in the form of Michel Kelemenis,
who has really been there for me,” said Tshabalala.
In 2011, Tshabalala choreographed a group work entitled Fractured with the MIDM professional
company. It was performed at Dance Umbrella as part of the main programme, and
he also performed Lost and Found at
Francophonic, organised by the French Institute of South Africa.
He participated in a residency in France, where he worked on
his new commissioned work Gates of Hell,
which was performed as a duet in February at Dance Umbrella. This work was also
presented at the 2012 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
Tshabalala has recently joined PJ Sabbagha’s Forgotten Angle
Theatre Collaborative, and looks forward to a new season, professionally.
“Winning this award means a new beginning in my career and
more opportunities for me as an artist,” said Tshabalala. “I think this award
will also show people that there is hope in the future of dance,” he added.
The winners of The Standard Bank Young Artist Awards feature
on the main programme of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and receive
financial support for their Festival participation, as well as a cash prize. For
more information on the National Arts Festival, click on the banner advert at
the top of this page.
Posts
