25th Battle of the Giants All Styles Dance Festival.
Mar26

25th Battle of the Giants All Styles Dance Festival.

Let the energy and rhythm of dance captivate you at South Africa’s premier dance event, the 25th Battle of the Giants All Styles Dance Festival between Friday 11 April and Sunday 13 April at Sun International’s Sun City Resort.   Under the aegis of the South African Dance Teachers Association Stage Branch, the event presents a kaleidoscope of dance forms attracting amateur, championship and professional dance entrants from around the country.   Dancers will compete in Freestyle, Slowdance, Ballroom and Latin, Hip Hop, Showdance, Street Dance Show, Disco Dance, Jazz, Breakdance and Electric Boogie. The Stage branch has opened a para category for disabled competitors as well.   The audience can expect to see a visual feast of colourful, glamorous costumes, dramatic make-up and the dynamism, passion and energy of dance, coupled with expert choreography and dancing.   The high calibre judging panel reflects the importance of the Battle of the Giants on the dance calendar. Judging this year’s contest are Kirsten Dan Jensen from Denmark  who serves on the Presidium of the International Dance Organization, along with a leading panel of South African judges including David Jones, Rudi Smit, Diana Moore, Pacou Mutombo and Craig Bullock to name a few.   The Festival is also a springboard for talented entrants who go on to achieve even greater recognition. The current World Freestyle and Slowdance Champion Kalon Badenhorst is one such example.   According to Bev Wood of the South African Dance Teachers Association Stage Branch, “We encourage each and every participant to reach their goals and strive to reach new heights in their dancing achievements. I know that the dancers will create another spectacular and successful Battle of the Giants and at the same time, climb the ranks of World dancing.”   Each day of the Festival dancing will begin at 9am. Tickets are available from Computicket at R75 per person per day, and R80 for the Grand Final on Saturday evening. Discounts are available for children under 12.   For more information about Sun City’s special accommodation packages contact Dreams on (011) 217 5555, or E-maildreams@suninternational.com or log into www.suninternationaldreams.com.   DATES             Friday 11 April to Sunday 13 April 2014 TIMES              From 07h00, dancing starts at 09h00 daily. Grand Final at 19h00 on Saturday 12 April 2014 VENUE                        Sun City Superbowl TICKETS          Booking at Computicket. Tickets from R75 daily, R80 each for Saturday night, discounts are available for children....

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Dada Masilo’s CARMEN in JHB in September
Sep01

Dada Masilo’s CARMEN in JHB in September

WOW, sounds like the South African Dance scene finally got it’s groove on, thanks to the groundbreaking work of the edgy young choreographer/Director Dada Masilo that’s filling up theatre seats – Go Go Go and support this new wave of dance this month:  Thanks to support from the City of Johannesburg, local audiences will get to see the latest dance/theatre work by 24 year-old trailblazer, Dada Masilo. Her CARMEN, which dazzled audiences at the recent National Arts Festival, will be staged at The Dance Factory from September 10th to 13th, as part of the Arts Alive International Festival. During the past few years, Masilo has made a name for herself both as a dancer and as a choreographer. Trained in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Brussels, Masilo is a Contemporary dancer, who has a deep love for the classics – from Shakespeare to Tchaikovsky, from Ballet to Flamenco. As a dancer, she has impressed with her `signature speed` – the ability to move like greased lightening; and also to imbue her roles with a precocious theatricality. As choreographer, she has been amazingly daring, tackling the `big’ stories and boldly fusing dance techniques; musically, mixing the original scores with twentieth century composers and performers. In 2008, Masilo was the recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance. For that National Arts Festival, she created a ROMEO AND JULIET, based closely on Shakespeare’s text – but reflecting the youth of the title characters in her use of Bach and Vivaldi, performed by Vanessa Mae and Nigel Kennedy. The work drew large critical and audience support and was restaged for the Arts Alive International Festival 2008, where it failed to disappoint. In October, it goes to the Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town. CARMEN posed an even bigger challenge. Masilo says: I began with the idea of unraveling Carmen the woman – to search beneath the surface presented in the ballets and operas – to find the vulnerability beneath the cold, heartless exterior. In the process of research, there was so much to unravel: I searched for Bizet and found Shchedrin, I discovered many existing narratives. Ultimately, I have created a narrative which allows me and the dancers to do what we love most – to dance. The first phase of CARMEN, was UNRAVELLING CARMEN a thirty-minute work commissioned by the FNB Dance Umbrella with additional support from the National Arts Council. This work, for seven dancers, premiered last March. Adrienne Sichel in The Star wrote: Not unexpectedly, Dada Masilo’s commissioned Unraveling Carmen…goes for the artistic jugular.The white floor transforms not into a bullring, but a red rose-spattered arena of sex,...

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Freedom to Dance at Arts Alive
Aug26

Freedom to Dance at Arts Alive

There’s one week to go till the City of Johannesburg’s nearly month-long Arts Alive festival kicks off on the 3rd of September  – we’re hoping you’ve already decided which part of the festival calls your name and booked your baby-sitter.  This year we’re spoilt for choice with a broad line up of dance, comedy, theatre, film, visual arts, poetry and music to choose from throughout September…  We’re going to be covering the Freedom to Dance House and Hip Hop event at Carfax that kicks off the festival  – here’s the deal: The stage is set, the line-up has been finalised, finishing touches are being made and the smell of excitement and anticipation is thick in the air. It’s that time of year again… the 2009 17th annual Joburg Arts Alive International Festival set to take place in Johannesburg between the 3rd and 27th of September. In addition to the numerous captivating art disciplines set to grace urban central Johannesburg such as, theatre, dance (from classical to contemporary and street), visual arts, comedy, spoken word and poetry, the festival will also play host to the Arts Alive Freedom to Dance extravaganza, taking place at Carfax – Jozi on Friday the 4th of September 2009. Aimed at youth, this evening will whet the appetite of the toughest music critic with performances by leading house and hip hop DJ’s from South Africa. Guests on the evening will also be privy tothe electric legendary beats of international house sensation Rocco who by reputation exceeds all expectations. A regular on the Europe, USA and Asia house scenes, Rocco’s Deep House is rapidly growing in popularity among South African audiences. Rocco has previously been welcomed to South African shores and has played for an astounding 3000 spectators. His most recent release called “Someday” on Real Tone Records struck a chord with international and South African audiences alike having made its way to the Traxsource’s charts for 3 weeks and already supported by Louie Vega, Mr V. and Laurent Garnier! The House Floor at Carfax will also play host to many talented South African DJ’S including MacG, Mo Flava, Willie, Oskido, Bouer and Monde. And who could forget to mention the infamously popular Black Coffee who began his DJ career in 1994 while still in High School? His Deep/Afro House, Soulful Lounge, and broken beats are known around the country and are testament to his excellence. If Hip Hop is more your scene then get ready for an evening filled with insane beats and wicked rhymes. With appearances by Beatoven, Vigi, and Tholi B the evening is set to rock all the way through to the...

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Represent Review: H2O- More than just a jol
Mar11

Represent Review: H2O- More than just a jol

10:00 Am. And unusually quiet for what can only be described as a milestone event. Ten years of the biggest dance party in Africa. Yet this time around, strangely the people hadn’t camped outside waiting to be allowed in. This time, there was no queue extending down the street for people waiting to park nor an equal mass of people walking in and lining up, waiting to get in. What was going on? Upon entering the venue I felt the energy begin to heat up as the music had already started to fill the air. The crowd was small, but growing by the minute and  you could feel the twinklings that  today was going to be unforgettable. The sun was beating down on us as the African tempos started blaring out the speakers filling our bodies with the energy to make it through the next few hours. This was going to be insane. We milled around, checking out all the floors and getting a feel for each one. Each dancefloor provided it’s own unique flavour to the day – each perfectly located so as not to drown out one another in terms of sound and crowd. I grabbed myself a drink from one of the tents and relaxed to take in all of my surroundings. Before I knew it, the party had really begun. The crowd started getting their ankles wet and so began the cheers and whistles as the DJ began to drop some insane mixes. The next time I turned around to check out the scene, I saw thousands of people with their hands lifted jubilantly up in the air, accepting the music, letting the rhythms take control of their bodies. This was it, this is what we live for. United by music, united by one energy. This is who we are and this is our message. We are South Africans and we know how to party! One hour after the next, swaying the amassed sea of people, the music just kept coming. It didn’t let up, not even for a second. Even when the lines weren’t connected for Fresh to begin his set the crowd was entertained by a beatboxer who not only had the crowd jumping and screaming for more, he even had the one and only Vernon in the background doing his signature move. Only in South Africa can we make a party happen even when there is no sound. The rhythm is in our blood. Ironically, being a party called H2O, we were blessed by Mother Africa raining down on us. The crowds started to dwindle down which was disappointing as there was...

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VIP Tickets!!! H2O celebrates 10 years of dance
Feb28

VIP Tickets!!! H2O celebrates 10 years of dance

TWO SETS OF VIP tickets to give away for SATURDAY the 7th March!! Email editor@represent.co.za and tell us on what day was H2O first launched 10 years ago… send yr name, cell number and ID number. See our review and photo’s from the last party here. It’s an impressive line-up and considering that summer is soon on it’s way into hibernation, if you’re an H2O fan, make sure you soak up the last rays of a 10 year summer of fun at H20’s 10th Anniversary event at Wild Waters. We’re not going to tell you about it as the press info below has the answers to all your questions, but we will mention that some of our superfavo DJ’s are playing like Ready D, Fresh, Brett Jackson, Shaun Duvet and of course the sublime CT mega band Goldfish will be performing live alongside some international djs. Read all about it below: H2O 10th ANNIVERSARY – SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2009 SMIRNOFF SPIN & COKE ZERO in association with THE POWER OF 5FM is proud to present.. H2O! A DECADE OF DANCE!! Saturday 7 March ’09 3 International Artists Over 60 Top SA Artists! 9 Dancefloors! 22 Hours of Party Mayhem!! H2O – A DECADE OF DANCE! Once upon a time on the 28th day of the 8th month in the year 1998, the H2O Dream was born. On this day, while driving to Mozambique, for reasons we still don’t quite understand, my brother Paul and I started exchanging thoughts on a daytime dance party at Wild Waters.. “Just imagine, a 24 hour party in a water park “ I said, my stomach twisting inside with excitement. “We can do this Paul, let’s throw this party, it’s going to be the best party ever!” Paul looked at me with the same excitement in his eyes, “Let’s do it!” he said. On Saturday 6 February 1999, the first H2O Party was held featuring International DJ Bob Sinclar.. A 20-hour party with a crowd of 13 000! Wow!! What a day! And what an awesome party it was! The dance floor is heaving as the coloured lights pass back and forth, bouncing off the crystal blue water of the main wave pool. A sea of scantily clad bodies sway knee deep in water to the undeniable hair raising sound of dance music.. This is the Dream.. This is H2O!!! REGISTER & WIN WITH H2O! Register on our website http://www.h2oparty.com before 28 February 2009 and stand a chance to win a fantastic party prize! *All 4 will be presented with V-VIP H2O TICKETS, 4 Cameroon Makeover Vouchers and 2 Super Hot Jetset watches for the winner and his/her...

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