‘Confined’ notes power of women
In her latest show titled Confined, choreographer and dancer Lulu Mlangeni celebrates women who have embraced the challenges life throws at them.
Confined opened at the Market Theatre in Newtown last Friday and is on until Sunday.
By the time the audience enter the Barney Simon Theatre, Mlangeni is already in action, with two men holding two ropes tied to her and a simple sound of blowing wind playing in the background.
As soon as everyone is seated, the two men start pulling her back with the ropes as she struggles to free herself. Four men wearing black suits with white shirts start singing, and so Confined begins.
Mlangeni’s dance piece is inspired by the turbulent life of political stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
She shines the spotlight on the lives of women who break societal barriers and fight oppressive systems to survive.
The work celebrates women who have endured discrimination and hardships in their lives and who inspire and provide optimism about the future.
After the widely reported cases of women abuse and killings last year, one gets a feeling that Mlangeni is tapping into something relevant.
She fuses spoken word, dance and theatre.
She features talented Sunnyboy Motau who was accompanied by Charlston van Rooyen and Smangaliso Ngwenya.
It is well danced, with Mlangeni giving especially captivating performances.
Nevertheless, the piece as a whole left me longing for more dancing, especially solos by Mlangeni herself.