Kgololo: the dance
Motsomi is working on a dancing project of liberation from self burdens
Watching Lone Motsomi dance is like watching a breath- taking piece of art. This Motsomi is light on her feet. Regardless of whether she is sharing her passion for dance on an international stage, or on a gravel road somewhere in the bush, she is still as elegant and beautiful to watch. Recently, she gave a few members of the audience a snippet from her ongoing project titled, Kgololo.
Watching her perform in that snippet is like seeing passion personified. She has that thing that leaves one with goosebumps.
Sharing a summary about this exciting piece, she says that the name is inspired by her late dad, Kgololo.
She further explains that the little dance piece is inspired by what she has been unpacking in her life. While she was unpacking, there were so many things that were coming and opening up a window of opportunities and made her realise she had to be free to pick her way- forward and let go of some burdens, another reason for the name, Kgololo.
“I had a chance to ask myself the question of what if I let go of this characteristics, would I still be known as the person that I am,” she says.
She thought deeply about identity, for instance, does one remain a lady even if she does not put on skirts?
Identity, she says is part of the branches that make Kgololo. Even though she does not have the actual structure of the piece, she explains that every season or chance that she gets, she builds a branch.
“Kgololo means liberation, freedom from slavery, oppression and letting go. And for me this title goes a long way. It is a big topic for me, and it goes back to my family and who I am, my career and it covers a whole lot of things. It is a release of everything that I have been holding or I have been wanting to hold to feel valid or important and wanted,” she says.
She also highlights that holding on to these things made her realize that she is actually suppressing other things that she does not want to talk about and feel, hence the character that she built. “So it is liberation to see Lone, and the liberation to see who Lone is,” she explains.
Motsomi is still building the branches of Kgololo. It might take time but it is coming. Kgololo, she says, was inspired by things that she went through personally.
“It keeps going back to release me, release me. It is like a chant, and the little child inside me is just screaming release me, let go of me,” she says, as emotions overcome her. “I am holding in so much, and thank God that I am a dancer, and an artist. I get to release some of these little things bit by bit. They will not come out all at once, but every day I try to come back to myself and just say this is what you are going through, and what are you going to do about it. So it is like a little child saying release me,” she says.
She further explains that she didn’t have a title until this year when she had a lot of introspection. It has been there for a while. Sharing a bit about her childhood, she explains that she lost her parents when she was young.
Today, aged 26 years of age, she says that she is still trying to accept this major loss. What makes this worse, is the environment that she grew up in, and the friends that she had around her as well as the workspace, which all sometimes triggers a lot of things such as why it had to be her.
“The name pops up over again. Dance has always been my freedom, and it has always been my escape place to release that and express myself,” she says.
She also says that it has been hard to let go, and to just accept that this was beyond her parents control. Stepping into society and trying to be strong also makes it hard for her. And she is calling on society to accept that people can not always be strong. The family dynamics, says Motsomi, also have their own contribution. Dancing, she says, is still something that is not accepted, and the stereotypes around dancing versus finding a 9- 5 job.
Dancing has not been an easy job. She has had to fight hard in order to be where she is, and has had a
lot of self doubts and uncertainties around her dancing calling. “I never gave up, and I keep pushing. I still have days when I have doubts, hence I keep going back to the name Kgololo,” she notes.
It has not been easy in the new normal. On the positive side, she is experiencing a lot of growth. A lot of people know her as a dancer from Mophato Dance Theatre. The new normal has given her an opportunity to stand out on her own as an individual dancer. Individually, the new normal has given her a chance to grow as a dancer, she had a moment to sit down and have a chat about herself, and find out who is Lone and who is Lone without Mophato and that she can not always be known as Lone from Mophato. “I had a moment to reflect in my craft, and grow and cultivate it and give it meaning and depth. That is why I am now reaching into my personal life and telling these stories. I also had more time to improve my technique and practice during this period, and building and personalizing my craft,” says Motsomi.
She also had a moment to apply for school during the lockdowns, and she is doing her Masters in Dance Production.
The negative part is the income, as there are no gigs. Income has been a big factor, and as an artist it is big. Secondly, it is not being able to interact with other dancers, and just being with them. When they have a gig, it is all about a gig, and going home immediately after.
Sharing what sets her apart, she says that she has a series of stories to tell. When she started dancing, she used it as a form of escape and freedom, and healing. “I literally take it all out on my dancing. I have been fortunate enough to have been professionally trained. I work hard, there is passion attached to working hard. I put everything in my dance, I take this as my dance. My working hard is to say that If I die tomorrow, I will have a smile on my face because I put everything on what I was doing,” she says, adding that she fought very hard to have that recognition to become the dancer that she is today.