Review: Jomba! 2005 dance was a treat!
Our Durban Dance Fundi Naz reckons it will be a long wait till the next spread of such fine Dance talent in Durb’s. If you missed the Jomba festival, you missed out ! Thanks to Naz for the words.
Durban only ever gets to see this much dance once every year, and the 8th annual Jomba! Contemporary Dance Festival was well worth the wait. Durbans finest dance compa…
nies, including Phenduka Dance Theatre, Fantastic Flying Fish, and the unforgettable Flatfoot Dance Company, each presented new works proving that Durban is rife with dance talent.
We were lucky enough to have Lab Dance from the Netherlands performing on Tuesday and Wednesday night at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, which was a nice change from the style we are accustomed to seeing in South Africa.
The show was a series of four short pieces, each one exploring the connections of the body and the relationship between dancers on a bare stage, with dim lighting and minimal music. Their contact work and body articulation was beautifully refreshing to see and the standard of dance was phenomenal.
Thursday the 25th August was Paradise, a collaboration of twelve different young choreographers from Durban, each depicting a 15 minute piece of their personal interpretations of the Paradise theme.
The KZNSA gallery provided a scenic setting for the work, with dancers making use of the indoor gallery, as well as the park, jungle gym and stair case, making the environment an integral part of the performance. Paradise was directed by Jay Pather of Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre and was an interesting display of dance as an art form.
Also gracing us with their presence were Kettly Noel from Mali (who proved to be very popular last year), and Jant-Bi from Senegal, with an intense performance telling the story of the Rwandan genocide.
The final night saw four of Durban’s best up-and-coming dancers and choreographers presenting works of their own. With the likes of Marise Kyd and Caroline van Wyk of Flatfoot Dance Company, as well as the freshest hip-hop band on the scene, The Big Idea, the future of Durban contemporary dance,if nurtured well, is sure to be a bright one .
Unfortunately, if you missed this rare opportunity to get a good dose of quality contemporary dance in Durban you’re gonna have to wait for next year!
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