Choreographers from across the world will gather in South Africa to showcase their moving dance productions at the 26th Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience from August 27 to September 8.
Leading up to the main event is the annual ADDN Jomba Ability Dance Festival at The Stable Theatre from Thursday, August 22 to Sunday, August 25.
The four-day festival will host local dancers and guest participants from Kenya, the US, the UK, Finland and China.
“The festival colloquium offers workshops, panel discussions of key issues and a collective sharing of some amazing work by artists from Africa and across the globe in the evening performances,” said the festival’s curator and Flatfoot Dance Company founder, Lliane Loots.
“We hope that visitors engage fully and take much from the four days as we collaboratively explore disability as gain.”
The ADDN Jomba Ability Dance Festival performance programme includes works from the Flatfoot Dance Company, the Flatfoot Wheelchair programme and the Flatfoot Downie Dance Company.
Also on offer is Cape Town’s Unmute Dance Theatre’s Andile Vellem’s signature work, “Listen to your hands”, which uses South African sign language as the core choreographic impulse to dance, move and speak.
In addition, Thapelo Kotlolo from Johannesburg is set to connect queer culture to disability struggles in his beautiful and provocative production, “Bells and Sirens 2”, while Kenyan choreographer Ondiege Matthew and his company, Dance into Space, will dive into cultural myths, disability and gender politics in his piece called, “Nyanam”.
Meanwhile, Mzansi’s Jarryd Watson of Dance Movement, will showcase three women coming together to celebrate the beauty, strength and resilience of one another – in spite of their differences.
On the international front, Chicago-based Sydney Erlikh's Unfolding Disability Futures will present “And Yet We Are Here”, a powerful zeitgeist response to the destruction of war in acknowledgement of war’s physical and emotional impact.
Speaking about her dance piece, Erlikh explained: “War not only leaves death and disability in its wake, but people with disabilities are more often unable to flee violence.”
She added: “This dance considers and expands on the themes of war and rebuilding while embodying the disability community’s collective care and access, even in the face of bullets, bombs and brutality.”
Lee Fischer and Tom Rogers of Birmingham Royal Ballet will participate in a panel discussion where they will discuss and share the work of their subsidiary dance company, Free Fall Dance Company, which is made up of dancers with intellectual disabilities.
By developing a top-notch curriculum that highlights the artistic potential of individuals with learning difficulties, their organisations aims to dispel misconceptions about dancing and people living with disabilities.
The group is especially proud of its groundbreaking virtual reality work and its award-winning dance films, both of which festival-goers will be able to see and participate in.
The event will also host a digital online workshop by disability culture activist, wheelchair dancer and community performance artist, Petra Kuppers.
She will host her free Starship Somatic workshop on Sunday, August 25, from 4.15pm to 5pm. To sign up, email marcia.mzindle13@gmail.com.
There are also other free workshops and panels available, but places are limited. Bookings must be made two days before the event, via marcia.mzindle13@gmail.com.
Tickets for the evening dance performances are R50 each and bookings can be made at Computicket.
Women’s Month KZN Philharmonic Orchestra Concert
To honour Women’s Month, the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra will host two concerts at the Playhouse Opera.
One will be staged on Thursday, August 22, and the other will take place on Thursday, August 29, at the Playhouse Opera. Each of these shows will feature a female conductor and soloist.
Meanwhile, the first Early Spring Season concert will include renowned Polish British conductor, Ewa Strusińska who will open the season with Robert Schumann’s enchanting “Carnival Opus 9”.
The work consists of 21 variations on a theme by Franz Schubert, representing masked revellers at a carnival.
Then, internationally-celebrated Australian violinist, Emily Sun will take centre stage in a performance of Samuel Barber’s highly regarded “Violin Concerto”, followed by Ludwig van Beethoven’s, “Seventh Symphony” which is guaranteed to get pulses racing.
In the second concert, internationally-acclaimed Panamanian-American maestra, Kalena Bovell will take to the podium along with Indian-American pianist, Pallavi Mahidhara.
Where: The Playhouse Opera Theatre in Durban central.
When: Thursday, August 22, and Thursday, August 29, at 7pm.
Cost: Tickets cost R113 and can be booked at Quicket. There will be buses available at a cost from Caister Lodge, Westville Senior, St Agnes in Kloof and Grace Church in Umhlanga, to transport guests to and from the Playhouse.