MY PERFECT WEEKEND
Jessica Nupen, South African dancer and choreographer based in Germany
How dancer Jessica Nupen spends hers
On weekends if I’m not rehearsing I head to the Pilates studio first thing in the morning. I’ve been training with Linda Green in Dunkeld and it’s the perfect way to find balance after a week of rehearsals. It’s convenient that just around the corner is Glenda’s, my favourite place for breakfast. I’ll spend the morning catching up with my family and baby nephew and niece over the creamiest scrambled eggs and a green juice.
Then it’s on to the Goodman and Everard Read Galleries in Rosebank to see which artists are exhibiting. One of my favourite artists is Robyn Penn whose oeuvre involves an obsession with clouds. It’s quite difficult to explain how captivating her clouds are and so a visit to David Krut to see them is always on the cards.
The Leopard at 44 Stanley is a wonderful place for lunch and the space is always changing so it’s interesting to see what’s going on. After a delicious plate of fennel salad and baba ganoush it’s off to Braamfontein to Kalashnikovv and Banele Khoza Galleries and to wander down Juta Street for a browse and maybe pick up some tsatskes. I will never miss an opportunity for a coffee from Father.
Early evenings are generally spent in
Maboneng where I like to see what’s going on at the Bioscope. I always pass through to The Centre for the Less Good Idea and William Kentridge’s studio. I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to create and present work as part of Season 4 at The Centre curated by Jane Taylor. Collaborating with a group of extremely talented artists across mediums has been a remarkable experience. I love moving around Joburg on my own, meeting the artists, gallerists, cafe and studio owners to hear all the exciting developments since my last visit.
In my downtime I love to read. I’m engrossed in Simone Haysom’s book
The Last Words of Rowan du Preez.
An accomplished writer and journalist, her book is enthralling. Peter Harris is also high on my list and I have just finished his third book Bare Ground.
I listen to a wide range of music but The Black Jacks, Spoek Mathambo, James Blake, Madala Kunene, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov are on repeat on my playlist.
The last thing I do before turning out the
light on a Sunday evening is try to get some reading in, but normally the days are so packed moving from the studio to meetings with artists, designers, funders and theatres that I collapse into bed. My boyfriend is a chef and makes sure that I have a delicious homemade meal at the end of the day. ●