Durban date for top US crew
THE internationally renowned US dance troupe, Battery Dance Company, has been in Durban this week as part of its first tour of SA, and after a series of workshops will present a special dance showcase tomorrow.
The company, joined by Pretoria-born dancer Bafana Solomon Matea, is on a threecity, three-week tour of the country.
The team is in Durban as part of South African Heritage Month festivities and Celebrate Durban. The tour was arranged by the US consulate general in Durban, in partnership with KwaMashu’s Ekhaya Multi Art Centre, which has hosted the dancers since Monday.
Dance workshops have been held throughout the week at the arts centre, where a showcase featuring artistic pieces created during the workshops will be presented at 6pm tomorrow. This dance performance is open to the public.
Funded by the US State Department, this cultural exchange programme connects artistic communities worldwide. The company will visit Gauteng from next Monday to Friday, and Cape Town from September 30 to October 6.
The Battery Dance Company’s aim is to conduct workshops and master classes with professional and aspiring dancers in SA.
Dancer Matea, originally from Mamelodi in Pretoria, joined the New York-based dance company in 2004. A Cecchetti advanced dance graduate of the Pro Art Alphen Park School in Pretoria, he has performed with the company in the US, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Says Bafana: “Creativity is everyone’s right and I love being able to help inspire young people to open up and find new ways to express themselves.”
Dancing to Connect, an award-winning initiative created by the Battery Dance Company, engages youth in creativity and team-building through modern dance.
“The company’s world-class performers bring with them influences from various countries and, through workshops, they connect with local youth, some of whom have no dance background, and together create a dance performance formed through a week’s cultural exchange experience,” says a spokesman for the company.
“For many, interacting with Battery Dance Company provides the first exposure to professional artists.
“The Dancing to Connect workshops open doors for teens as they transition into the leaders and engaged citizens of tomorrow.”
Since being founded in 1976, Battery Dance Company has created more than 100 dance pieces, performed extensively in 40 countries and mentored more than 200 000 public school students through its Dancing to Connect programme.
The company founder and artistic director, Jonathan Hollander, is a noted choreographer and leader in international cultural exchange and social activism through dance.