Going viral
MaFred and Virus join forces to make their dance crew the top contender in Tjovitjo’s season-finale battle.
Tjovitjo Season 1 Sundays SABC1 (*191) 20:00
Something magical began in the moment that MaFred (Warren Masemola) buried the hatched with his rival Virus ( Victor Mohale) in Sunday 15 April’s episode of drama show Tjovitjo (2017- current). “Both men realised the importance of dance and Virus has become MaFred’s hope as they settle things in the field,” insists Victor. “Dance is a universal language. Between us, we show that dance can unite the leaders of dance groups to work together as one.” And viewers will see just how they work together as Tjovitjo’s dancers’ break out their sharpest moves in the season finale on 6 May. “Expect more surprises, fire and techniques,” grins Victor. “The Tjovitjo crew is more focussed and ready for battle now that the war has finished and they are ready to take on other crews.” Victor adds that “Virus and MaFred’s goal is to show what they are capable of and what the Tjovitjo crew is made of”. It’s not just the dance moves that will look sharp though, adds the actor: Virus will be going all-out when it comes to dressing for the battle. “It’s unique, very stylish and says a lot about the culture we represent in Tjovitjo and it will describe my character in more depth,” he says proudly.
CAN DO, CAN TEACH
As a dance teacher and mentor in real life, Victor has seen enemies unite over the power of dance time and again. “Tjovitjo is real and close to my world. I relate to most of the stories on the show,” he explains. While Victor has had a career that Tjovitjo’s characters’ could only dream of – including moving to Hollywood in 2000 to work as an intern at Universal Studios – educating young performers is his passion. Victor returned to South Africa in 2006 to teach dance and drama in Tladi, Soweto. His passion and inspiration soon caught the attention of Tjovitjo creatorproducer Vincent Moloi and the two have been inseparable for the past 10 years. “I opened a theatre group because I wanted to teach drama to the kids of Soweto, then Vincent Moloi came to one of my classes and we became friends. We worked on one of his projects called Skulls Of My People (the 2016 documentary about the 19041908 genocide in Namibia) and then the Tjovitjo dream came to life,” reveals Victor. “When he talked about it, I immediately believed in his vision. And the respect we had for this project made me want to be a part of it. I wanted to see everyone who knew how to dance or act be part of this! I also wanted us to introduce new upcoming actors in the entertainment industry and for everyone to get a piece of the Tjovitjo pie,” he laughs.
OLD DANCE, NEW OPPORTUNITY
Victor has seen first-hand what this show has meant to the young dancers. “Tjovitjo has given them hope now that Spantsula has become the trend. When you’re at a traffic light, you see boys dancing Spantsula. We’ve managed to re-introduce a culture people thought was dying or dead. Now they are embracing it more because you also get artists shooting music videos and advertisements that include Spantsula culture. It has been overwhelming to see people engaging in a culture that was there way before some of them were born. It has made me proud to be part of this project and culture.”
WANT MORE?
“You should expect another season of Tjovitjo!” Insists Victor. “For the storyline, I’d like to see the introduction of new characters and new dance techniques, meaning more dance crews will be exposed to the world of Spantsula. And on the technical side, we need to grow our shooting styles!”