The premiere of an exciting new Jazzart Dance Theatre production, iHaw’ Elisha, is set to electrify Cape Town audiences when it is staged at Artscape Theatre from September 3 until September 12.
Originally commissioned for the 2010 FNB Dance Umbrella by award-winning South African choreographer, Sbonakaliso Ndaba, iHaw’ Elisha first appeared as a work-in-progress under the title of 1st Draught. It received a rapturous reception from critics and audiences during its first incarnation at the Dance Umbrella earlier this year and was praised as ‘powerful’, ‘striking’ and ‘hypnotic’.
Ndaba explains that although there is no narrative, audiences will resonate with the premise behind her new work which is to trace the chess game of life. “You will find images of chess all over the piece, as I look at life always as being orchestrated by someone or something above us all. If you are familiar with the game you will understand that that every move triggers another move, and ultimately affects every piece on the board.”
“My intention is to reveal our common humanity and play it back in glimpses. It explores our ways of seeing and doing as well as our gestures, our natures, our vices and virtues. The Jazzart dancers, who are as renowned for their powerful physicality, as much as for their soulful interpretation, rise to the occasion. “They do a magnificent job in peeling off the outside layers, to leave themselves bare in the real world – tender, exposed and beautiful,” she adds.
She is excited about the new dance vocabulary that she and her dancers have developed and believes that living and dancing in present day South Africa is central to interpreting our lived experience into new movements that will resonate with local audiences.
A new musical score by BLK Sonshine’s Neo Muyanga has been specially commissioned for the Artscape season. Ndaba is thrilled to be collaborating with one of the country’s foremost musicians and believes his soundtrack will help accentuate the textures in both the choreography and the emotional aspects of the piece. “Neo’s music will also be the homemade spice we add in our pot,” she grins.
Ndaba established her professional career with Jazzart Dance Theatre as a performer, dancer and teacher from 1994 until she returned to Durban to re-establish Phenduka Dance Theatre in 2001. Her innovative approach to dance has seen her win several prestigious choreographic awards, including the 2000 FNB Vita Award for Most Promising Choreographer, the 2003 DaimlerChrysler Award for South African Choreography and the 2005 KwaZulu-Natal Dance Link Award for Best Choreographer.
Her recent engagements include choreographing the opening ceremony for the Harare International Festival of the Arts, Aida for Cape Town Opera, and Poet and Prophetess for Norrlands Operan which premiered in Umea, Sweden.
Ndaba compares choreography to completing puzzles. “It is similar to the journey you take when putting puzzles together to form a picture. You experience frustration when you don’t find a piece that fits, but then you start looking at those pieces with a different eye.”
“In choreography the difference is that the pieces are all the same colour from the beginning. There is no picture yet and it is your job to start painting the picture and cut the pieces into a shape so that they fit when they stand next to each other. At the start of the process you don’t know where you are going, so the end result is a mystery – but that is the interesting part!” she exclaims.
“The more I move people around, the more my work starts to make some sense and the picture becomes more and more clearly visible. Immediately the work starts to say something and I just follow that journey. It is at the challenging times that I find inspiration.”
Tickets are R50 and bookings can be made through Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-seat, 021 421 7695.
iHaw’ Elisha is supported by: National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, ARTSCAPE, National Arts Council, Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, GrandWest Cape Culture and Heritage Foundation, British Council, The Lorenzo & Stella Chiappini Charitable Trust, Rand Merchant Bank, Distell, City of Cape Town.
Production information
Choreographed by: Sbonakaliso Ndaba
Music by: Neo Muyanga
Venue: Artscape Theatre
Dates:
Fri 3 Sept – 20h15
Sat 4 Sept – 15h00
Sat 4 Sept – 20h15
Sun 5 Sept – 18h00
Thurs 9 Sept – 20h15
Fri 10 Sept – 20h15
Sat 11 Sept – 15h00
Sat 11 Sept – 20h15
Sun 12 Sept – 18h00
Ticket price:
R50 throughout, but R20 per ticket for block booking of 20 or more.
Originally commissioned for the 2010 FNB Dance Umbrella by award-winning South African choreographer, Sbonakaliso Ndaba, iHaw’ Elisha first appeared as a work-in-progress under the title of 1st Draught. It received a rapturous reception from critics and audiences during its first incarnation at the Dance Umbrella earlier this year and was praised as ‘powerful’, ‘striking’ and ‘hypnotic’.
Ndaba explains that although there is no narrative, audiences will resonate with the premise behind her new work which is to trace the chess game of life. “You will find images of chess all over the piece, as I look at life always as being orchestrated by someone or something above us all. If you are familiar with the game you will understand that that every move triggers another move, and ultimately affects every piece on the board.”
“My intention is to reveal our common humanity and play it back in glimpses. It explores our ways of seeing and doing as well as our gestures, our natures, our vices and virtues. The Jazzart dancers, who are as renowned for their powerful physicality, as much as for their soulful interpretation, rise to the occasion. “They do a magnificent job in peeling off the outside layers, to leave themselves bare in the real world – tender, exposed and beautiful,” she adds.
She is excited about the new dance vocabulary that she and her dancers have developed and believes that living and dancing in present day South Africa is central to interpreting our lived experience into new movements that will resonate with local audiences.
A new musical score by BLK Sonshine’s Neo Muyanga has been specially commissioned for the Artscape season. Ndaba is thrilled to be collaborating with one of the country’s foremost musicians and believes his soundtrack will help accentuate the textures in both the choreography and the emotional aspects of the piece. “Neo’s music will also be the homemade spice we add in our pot,” she grins.
Ndaba established her professional career with Jazzart Dance Theatre as a performer, dancer and teacher from 1994 until she returned to Durban to re-establish Phenduka Dance Theatre in 2001. Her innovative approach to dance has seen her win several prestigious choreographic awards, including the 2000 FNB Vita Award for Most Promising Choreographer, the 2003 DaimlerChrysler Award for South African Choreography and the 2005 KwaZulu-Natal Dance Link Award for Best Choreographer.
Her recent engagements include choreographing the opening ceremony for the Harare International Festival of the Arts, Aida for Cape Town Opera, and Poet and Prophetess for Norrlands Operan which premiered in Umea, Sweden.
Ndaba compares choreography to completing puzzles. “It is similar to the journey you take when putting puzzles together to form a picture. You experience frustration when you don’t find a piece that fits, but then you start looking at those pieces with a different eye.”
“In choreography the difference is that the pieces are all the same colour from the beginning. There is no picture yet and it is your job to start painting the picture and cut the pieces into a shape so that they fit when they stand next to each other. At the start of the process you don’t know where you are going, so the end result is a mystery – but that is the interesting part!” she exclaims.
“The more I move people around, the more my work starts to make some sense and the picture becomes more and more clearly visible. Immediately the work starts to say something and I just follow that journey. It is at the challenging times that I find inspiration.”
Tickets are R50 and bookings can be made through Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-seat, 021 421 7695.
iHaw’ Elisha is supported by: National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, ARTSCAPE, National Arts Council, Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, GrandWest Cape Culture and Heritage Foundation, British Council, The Lorenzo & Stella Chiappini Charitable Trust, Rand Merchant Bank, Distell, City of Cape Town.
Production information
Choreographed by: Sbonakaliso Ndaba
Music by: Neo Muyanga
Venue: Artscape Theatre
Dates:
Fri 3 Sept – 20h15
Sat 4 Sept – 15h00
Sat 4 Sept – 20h15
Sun 5 Sept – 18h00
Thurs 9 Sept – 20h15
Fri 10 Sept – 20h15
Sat 11 Sept – 15h00
Sat 11 Sept – 20h15
Sun 12 Sept – 18h00
Ticket price:
R50 throughout, but R20 per ticket for block booking of 20 or more.
