JOMBA! FEMALE FORWARD DANCE RESIDENCY 2024

 

(Left: The JOMBA! residency will be led by Gaby Saranouffi (Madagascar/South Africa). Photos by Val Adamson

 A new residency that focuses on the development of young women in dance has been announced as an exciting new addition to the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience which takes place in Durban from August 27 to September 8, 2024. The seven-day residency runs during the festival and aims to encourage and support women in dance.

“Over the years we have observed that fewer female dancers are working professionally in the contemporary dance space, and so we identified a strong need for more female-focused dance development to be done in Durban,” explains Dr Lliane Loots, Artistic Director of JOMBA!, which is hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN).

This year the residency offers space for six female dancers aged between 18 and 30 years who have some dance training and now seek to push their skills and make their mark in the dance world as professionals.

The JOMBA! residency, led by Gaby Saranouffi (Madagascar/South Africa), will focus on further developing the dancers’ technical abilities, as well as include workshops around forging a professional image and work ethic that will aid in preparing these young dance professionals for future work opportunities. The dancers-in-residence will have access to the full festival programme and have the opportunity to meet and engage with professional companies that are visiting the festival.

The selection process was done through auditions in the form of a contemporary dance class with some improvisation with the outcomes of the residency presented at the JOMBA! YOUTH OPEN HORIZONS platform on Sunday September 1, 2024.