Space of Survival ... (Review by Verne
Rowin Munsamy)
As August draws to a close, I am nudged
closer and closer to opening night of Jomba!. Something that had become part of
my annual commitment for the last score. Hard to believe that 20 years have
droned on and yet my memory of the beginning of this contemporary Dance
Experience remains fresh. A sense of nostalgia settles over me as I wait for
the infamous Loots speech that opens every Jomba! and I am overcome with
anxious memories of dance works that have passed through the festival, bringing
a sense of profound joy that I could be part of this community.
As Artistic Director Lliane Loots aptly
jokes in response to her raucous welcome, it's good to have family in the
house. As expected, she sparked inspiration in the house and taunted us with
the idea of becoming radical in our approach to dance making and push
boundaries with concepts that transcend borders and bounds. Loots ignites a
Jihad-like flame that asks us to discover hope through fierce activism. We are
introduced to the main drive of this year's experience which focuses on “being
in your skin”, crossing boundaries which ignite hope and fostering a sense of
community. The two works that opened this joyous celebration of Contemporary
Dance did well to echo this vision.
(Scene
from “Man Longing”)
Opening this 20 year celebration was Moving
Into Dance Mophatong with Man Longing,
choreographed by Sunnyboy Mandla Motau. This brave work delves under the skin
to unearth the tragic events of enslaved, trafficked sex industry workers.
Reminiscent of a previous work that was performed many moons ago; the piece
finds several dancers stuffed into plastic, checkered bags, symbolic of the
entrapment that ensues. The choreography is brazen as it bravely communicated
the spiralling world that traps so many innocent victims. The mixture of
rhythms and levels fused with lifts that traversed the body made for exciting
viewing even though the theme was so heartrending.
(“The
Women Who Fell From The Moon”. Pic by Herman Verwey)
The second dance work of the evening, in
contrast, was a rather strange and out of this world exploration of what it
means to be human and live in the skin of humanity, was titled The Women Who Fell From The Moon,
choreographed by Khutjo Green in collaboration with the MIDM dancers. I admired
the lights and the moon that was so proudly displayed. The costumes were beautifully
designed and used to great effect in the choreography. It was weird and
wonderful and questioned our sense on community and home. The choreography
challenges our sense of self, and reminds us that even with change we grow and
remain the same.
The 13 days of performance will take us on
a nostalgic journey as we revisit some of JOMBA’s previous artists who have
graced the festival's stages. These old standing partnerships are embodied in
the new works that will be showcased throughout the festival including the
Fringe, Youth Fringe and Main Stage performances. Welcome to Jomba! 2018...find
your Jihad. - Verne Rowin Munsamy
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