Green Guzha slips on big stage
NO DOUBT he is a good dancer, but when it comes to staging a theatrical production, Tendai Guzha, still has a way to go.
Last week, Guzha teamed up with his two buddies, Elias Mudimu and Adam Mararikwenda, to stage a dance production titled “The Poison” at Theatre in the Park. It was clear the trio are teething when it comes to delivering a top-notch production on the big stage.
The greatest weakness of their hourlong set was that it lacked emotion.
They were dancing well, but for the greater part of the show they failed to connect with their audience emotionally. It took a solo dance from Guzha to the mega hit “Hotline Bling” by American rapper Drake to charge the atmosphere. If they had struck such chords throughout the set, it would have been a masterpiece.
Another challenge with the show was that it lacked coherence. Some scenes need reworking and the transition from scene to scene can also do with refinement.
For instance, there is a point when images of the devastating tsunami of 2004 pop up on the projector literally out of nowhere as the previous scene had nothing to do with strife or disaster. From there, we suddenly find ourselves in a sports scene. Maybe it is a stream of consciousness thing — but it just was not working.
Use of a director can go a long way in fine-tuning such things. With Guzha doubling as choreographer and director, and to an extent set designer, it became too much for the debutant.
That said, there is much potential in evidence, and their energy and dynamism will really benefit from this first experience. And it is always good to see young, fresh talent taking the big leap into the deep end, and an equally youthful audience turned out for the production.
Further, the use of new technologies was also good, providing a refreshing brak from traditional, staid productions that rely on tired props.
Tendai Guzha is theatre guru Daves Guzha’s son. He is a graduate from Dance Web Studios, an affiliate of the South African Dance Teachers’ Association. Tendai started dance in 2004 as a member of Dcronic, where he honed his choreography skills. He has been part of several other troupes since then, notably Public Felony and High Definition.