Jazzart company dancers perform in Jay Pather's "Qaphela Ceasar"

The Company dancers just completed a production will Jay Pather called "Qaphela Ceasar". This took place straight after Jazzart's company season iHaw' Elisha. They must be exhausted, but they did a great job!!

The Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts invites you to Jay Pather's
QAPHELA CAESAR!
A multimedia massacre of William Shakespeare's Julius CaesarPresented by the Gordon Institute For Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA)
Featuring Siwela Sonke Dance Company, Mwenya Kabwe, Mark Hoeben, Jazzart Dance Company, the UCT School of Dance and singers from the UCT Opera SchoolBased in a world of power struggles and politics, Shakespeare’s classic text about honour patriotism and friendship is reworked by Pather and the company to create this interdisciplinary adaptation. Relocating the characters into a South African context, Qaphela Caesar explores betrayal, prophesy, the power of political structures and the position of the individual within it. Performed in Cape Town’s historic City Hall, the performance integrates the design and history of the site to create a rich and multi-layered collaborative work which incorporates dance, spoken text, multimedia and opera. The work is an onslaught on the senses and re-examines the themes of corruption and political power from a modern African perspective. The deconstructed style of the work allows the audience to travel through 14 rooms, alternates between installation, performance art and dance, and incorporates the architecture of the City Hall into a unique and multi-layered performance.

DATE : 18 - 22 September 2010

TIME : 20h00

VENUE : Cape Town City Hall

Jazzart Company in iHaw' Elisha

Review by Jay Williams on iHaw' Elisha

The setting was suitably dark, forboding, surreal. A dimly-lit checker-top table with players/partners/roleplayers/the collective/the community; seated on either side.
Suddenly, still seated, they morph into life; characteristic chesspiece forms displayed through postures of the upper body, arms and head. The traditional game opens as a "pawn" moves to centrestage. The others follow in turn, specific, energy brimming, reflecting the emotion of postures; of discussion, of courtship, of ritual in the game, as in life.

The dancers costumed in effecient jeans-like trousers and tank tops (ladies) or bare chested (men) overlaid with bodypaint, earth and grey-tone layered merging bands. Lighting selection and effects maintained ambience and surreality very well.
The rules of the game cycle a few times; attraction, flirtation, seduction; conflict, rejection emerging with mesmerising nuance. A distinct edginess amidst electro music and soundscapes of loud jangling, staccato, bassy rhythms driving on and on. Moments of stillness were atmospheric to a knife edge and clearly showed the high standard of training of the dancers. Some dynamic moments directly on the "chessboard" table and others on the stagefloor helped to re-focus audience attention. Bodies moving in sometimes alluring, sometimes sexy, sometimes animalistic rhythm. Fluid, precise even militaristic group movements break into couples, where the performers took their bodies to the physical and emotional limits. The soloists were superb and all the cast were a joy to watch. The themes are thoroughly internalised, kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The endgame emerges with powerful thrust.
I loved it.

Jay Williams

iHaw' Elisha response

Philip Boyd - Dance For All, said:

"I would like to congratulate you all on the most wonderfull performance you did in your new production iHaw' Elisha on Saturday 4th Sept.
The whole production was such a fascinating journey artistically, choreographically, emotionally, and theatrically. This performance had such intensity, integrity, commitment and a performance quality that I will never forget. I left the theatre on Sat night feeling so inspired by this production and the high standard of work technically and artistically. I see such growth in the dancers technique that is very exciting for the future of dance and what an inspiration this is for so many to follow.

It is a must see production and every dance lover should see this masterpiece.
I was so proud of you all with our home grown talent we have in Cape Town.

Many congratulations to you all and thank you one and all.

I wish you the very best for the rest of the season.

Warm regards
Phil x "