Dancing to the same African tune
NELSON Mandela was famous for his view that sport was a great unifier.
Now a Durban creative live-wire is adding dance and music to that equation, and taking it to other parts of the world.
Sifiso Mthethwa and his Vision Faces team have cast a multinational collaborative company of dancers and musicians from KZN, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Ghana.
Dance Africa Dance! is a vibrant, large-scale original musical theatre production which will be staged at the Playhouse Drama before it heads to Russia as part of the African support team for Cameroon during the Confederations Cup.
It’s a 100% original production which talks to the continent of Africa’s love of soccer, dance and music as a unifier, and common thread among strangers.
The production uses English as its central language, while incorporating mother-tongue influences and themes from participating nations.
The 50-member company is comprised of performers, dancers, musicians, drummers and support staff. As part of the social-cohesion process, the cast have collaborated to envision, write and devise the production, under Mthethwa’s framework and direction.
“Soccer unites Africa, as does music and dance. The culture of Africa is varied and manifold, consisting of a mixture of tribes, cultures, religions, languages and legacies that each have their own unique characteristics,” said Mthethwa.
“We really wanted to create a very special purpose-made product which shows the world that, through our common interests, like soccer, music and dance, we can find unity and strength in a divided and fractured world. The DAD mission is to contribute in strengthening the Brics initiative by ensuring that Africa is united; sings with one voice and dances in unity.
“We wanted our process and production to reflect the power of unity through arts, and to showcase this to an international audience.
“We believe Dance Africa Dance! will give Africa and the world the other picture of South Africa, that our people and our government does not support xenophobia,” said Mthethwa.
Dance Africa Dance! has been championed by Cosua – a pan-African organisation that mobilises support for African teams in international football tournaments. The production’s aim is to encourage support for African champions Cameroon during the Confederations Cup in Russia.
The production will represent the African continent in Moscow, St Petersburg and Sochi, and then possibly in Chinese cities Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hangzhou.
Dance Africa Dance! will premiere at the Playhouse Drama from June 7-11. Booking through www.computicket.com / 0861 915 8000 / Shoprite Checkers.