Pandemic, disasters inspire show
Covid-19 tormented people in most of the world for two and a bit years.
Last year the misery deepened in SA when there was unrest in Kwazulunatal and Gauteng.
Then floods in Kwazulu-natal made things even worse.
The dance production Seven Ways to Say Goodbye explores some of the narratives of politics in the country.
It embodies a journal that echoes the early pillow books of Japan’s Sei Shonagon.
Though the production is initially a reminder of tragedy and sorrow, it has a happy ending.
The dancers are reminded to remember what they treasure the most, which is what we all have to do.
Choreographer Lliane Loots said: “The production was made last year after the looting and Covid-19.
“We felt that after all of those disastrous activities, we had lost who we were.
“The production was collaborative and it was an idea of a journey towards remembering who we were and where we came from.”
The production starts with the idea of a diary divided into seven sections and it ends in a celebration of the significance of our lives.
The production took Loots and the eight dancers eight weeks to complete.
Loots is a drama and performance lecturer at the University of Kwazulunatal. She is also the founder of the Flatfoot Dance Company.
The audience in the Great Hall at Rhodes University were taken on a journey that asked them to confront some sticky societal relationships.
Forced into isolation by the pandemic, people had to adapt.
The dancers depict the situation vividly, leaving the audience with many questions.