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Sunday, July 30, 2017

NAACH THE NATURE OF DANCE



(Pic by Joanna Tang, Colourise)

Rampage Dance Company is back with a new season of dance, this time focused on the different generations of dance in celebration of Women's Day. Catch NAACH – The Nature of Dance at the Playhouse on August 4, 2017.

“Women of all walks of life united in a march to the Union Buildings speaking in one voice: I was inspired by this,” says Iqraam Rahim, Rampage Dance Company Director, who is known for his unique style of mixing music, movement and momentum over a geometric grid, his choreographic work highlighting the Fibonacci sequence or golden mean which is nature’s code for progression and growth.

“Dance is a language. NAACH - The Nature of Dance presents dance work that in its very essence gives voice to many dance styles,” says Rahim. “The value of this production is seen not only the combination of various dance styles it profiles, but also that it highlights the value of collaboration, marrying the dance ethos of today with long established schools of dance.”

Anisha Maharaj (52) steps on stage after being retired from dance performance for just over 12 years. A student of Vasugi Singh (Artistic Director of KZN Dance Theatre), she has been given the greatest care to aid in her transition to the new paradigm of dance that didn't exist previously.

Kajal Misra (48), a seasoned Bharatanatyam performer, is stepping out of retirement to collaborate with Rahim who is pioneering the shift of local dance to a more diverse community, one that is current, more accessible and is representative of South Africa in the global dance arena. She will be performing a piece outside of her dance expertise, as Iqraam has choreographed a very vintage, jazzy number to the remake of the old time hit, Aaiye Meherabaan.

Iqraam Rahim was inspired by the story of cancer survivor, Shivani Singh, who found her strength in dance. Shivani Singh (38) a Kathak graduate, was excited at the prospect of working with the Durban dance guru and finds herself at the heart of Oruyagum, a piece that speaks to strength, determination, victory and celebration.

Heena Valabh, a classically trained dancer and medical student, is debuting as a choreographer with an Afro-western-Kathak inspired dance work that is indicative of her proud heritage as a South African Indian. Fusing Indian classical beats with nuances of hip hop and pop culture steers audiences into a world of dance uncharted by local choreographers.

Sandipa Sukhnandan and Tarika Nagessur, students of Medicine and Commerce respectively, complete a line-up of artists that speak to proud heritage of female performers locally.

“Last season, Rampage Dance Company united dance schools in the celebration of dance,” says Rahim. “This season we bring the mentors of the local dance theatre together in celebration of Women's Day, giving voice not only to the celebration of Dance but also speaking out to those bad practices adopted by Dance practitioners as we all scrabbled to find a space in the evolving dance environment locally.”

“As a production, NAACH - the Nature of Dance highlights the benefit of dance development, whether it be emotional, physical, spiritual or political. The project seeks to reach out with a helping hand to dance schools and institutes who have found themselves left behind in the progressive dance movement because of a lack of resources. Collaboration is definitely the key to produce more dance works and ultimately a better standard of dance locally.”

Presented within a Bollywood framework, NAACH - the Nature of Dance shows for one night only in Durban’s Playhouse Drama Theatre on August 4 at 19h30. Tickets R150 booked through Computicket. Call 0861 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com

For more information call 071 237 2900.