(Snethemba
Khuzwayo and Aphelele Nyawose with Simthandile Nombuso Nomthandazo Mtolo, Mary
Aphane, Zandile Tshapha & Phumzile Zondo on the stage.
Pic by Val Adamson)
This is a beautiful work by Musa Hlatshwayo
- fast-moving, filled with energy and visually exhilarating. (Review by
Caroline Smart)
Musa Hlatshwayo and Mhayise Productions’
new creation, Ndoni, is a multimedia
dance theatre piece which was commissioned by the Playhouse Company for the
22nd South African Women’s Arts Festival where it had a successful run last
week.
A dancer, choreographer and this year’s
Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Dance, Hlatshwayo has designed the
interesting costumes and the set which is enhanced by excellent lighting design
by Lerato Ledwaba.
Hlatshwayo is fast becoming known for his
innovative use of props. In Ndoni,
there is a raised platform upstage with a backdrop depicting 90 loaves of brown
bread. The loaves resemble the mud-made bricks of many black households and
refer to the religious connotations of bread.
Over 30 cabbages hang down at various
levels on long strands halfway along the front of the stage, almost providing a
screen to view the action behind it. As Hlatshwayo explains: “[The cabbage]
like bread, is an iconic vegetable in black households”. It can be home-grown
and is versatile and affordable.
A row of takkies/tekkies known within the
Zulu Culture as “Gogo Shoes" or “oMaCele” (The Mama Celes). lies along the
side of the stage, marking the path that has been travelled by 'the gogos'. A
dress rail at the bottom of the stairs carrying the costume changes is
specifically lit, forming part of the set. AV screens are on either side of the
stage. At one time, we see a traditionally-clad pair of feet moving in the corn
stalks which highlights a female character trying to deal with the fact that
she has a spiritual journey which demands for her life to ultimately change..
Setting the scene are two young dancers
hopping around on a board of squares, chanting cheerfully in isiZulu: “Mom, I
am hungry, may I have some food?” They often write letters in chalk on the
floor to their mothers who are away working in the city. These are Snethemba
ZamaCoober Khuzwayo and Aphelele Nyawose, young dancers in training at Mhayise
Productions’ Movement Lab. These are definitely two talents to watch, offering
very professional performances.
In an inspirational choice of singer and
voice artiste, the show is led by guitarist and singer Phumzile Zondo who also
proves she’s a highly competent dancer and as adept at movement as she is with
song and poetry. Sharing the platform with her and also involved in the dance
sequences is voice artist Simthandile Nombuso Nomthandazo Mtolo providing an
impressive vocal soundscape with suitable noises such as heavy breathing,
moaning and sighing.
The two main dancers are Zandile Tshapha
and Mary Aphane who give beautiful performances, providing just the right moods
and energy for this story which is inspired by the varied journeys of the women
warriors whose courageous love for life prompted them to step out of the
confines of their rural homes in the quest for a better and liberated life. At
one point, a cabbage is tenderly cradled like a new-born baby.
Another moving scene is when Simthandile
tells one of the little girls a story about a greedy farmer who learnt an
important lesson. I believe this story could become a drama or dance production
in its own right.
This is a beautiful work by Musa Hlatshwayo
- fast-moving, filled with energy and visually exhilarating. Like his Udodana which premiered at the 2018
National Arts Festival, don’t miss Ndoni
if it comes your way! – Caroline Smart
For more information on Mhayise
Productions’ Movement Laboratory, email: mhayiseproductions@yahoo.com
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