(Reviews from the
artSMart team currently in Grahamstown at the 2015 National Arts Festival)
Vibrant and energetic choreographed trance. (Review by
Thomie Holtzhausen)
Choreographer Nora Chipaumire sets the stakes high in portraits of myself as my father. This collaboration between the National Arts
Festival and the Tumbuka Contemporary Dance Company certainly challenges the
stereotypes of contemporary dance in Africa.
A stage covered in red sand, highly energetic dancers, superb lighting
and live music invites the audience into a vibrant and energetic choreographed
trance.
Chipaumire authors and celebrates masculinity, performance,
the black African body, as well as interrogates the “Zimbabwean self” as
manifested through time, space and force.
The opening sees the removal of the walls of space
connecting with the universe. Aggressive connections between male and female
and a powerful interaction of individual identities form the background to this
dance tour de force. Extreme
choreography, a disciplined cacophony of sounds and a direct challenge to the
audience’s perceptions of African dance, the production should be showcased as
supreme tourist attraction in Africa – talent, traditional beats and amazing
energy.
In addition to live music, the production also features
recorded music from Bhundu Boys, Doudou Ndiya Rose and Anderson & Roe. - Thomie
Holtzhausen
For more information
on the National Arts Festival click on the banner advert at the top of this
page or visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za
Posts
