Some of Cape Town’s best hip-hop dancers take to the stage today and tomorrow at Artscape Theatre, writes Debbie Hathway.
AS South African B-boy Alfred Burgees, aka Benny, made a last bid to compete in the final leg of the Red Bull BC One Middle East Africa event in Cairo last week, local crews were putting the finishing touches to a hip-hop showcase of a different kind at Artscape Theatre this weekend.
Benny just missed a spot in the final clash where a win could have secured him the chance to represent South Africa at the Red Bull BC One World Final in November in Rome. Morocco’s Lil Zoo won the regional title.
Instead of meeting on the competition floor, leading entertainers from Cape Town’s vibrant hip-hop community have been invited to co-create an event already extended by an extra performance due to increasing public demand at four preceding seasons. Cape Town’s Most Wanted features those 20 “stand-out” crews, who everyone wants to see on stage. They include Untimitive, Basic Black, B2D, Sushi Power, Lil Shifters and many more; a total of 210 dancers. “ Cape Town’s Most Wanted is an unusual opportunity for audiences to experience the unique styles within the hip-hop genre performed by some of the best local crews on one stage,” says coordinator Cleo Notcutt of Triple C, whose performance credits include being a top 16 contender in South Africa’s So You Think You Can Dance2010.
Cape Town’s Most Wanted is presented by Artscape in association with The Dance Project, and is directed by Cleo’s father, Brian Notcutt. Theatre is a shared passion in the Notcutt family and he couldn’t resist contributing his dramatic expertise to this production. The Dance Project is run by his wife, Trish, a dance teacher, choreographer, trainer and adjudicator, with assistance from a team that includes Cleo on choreography.
The production partly fulfils Cleo’s desire to “be an inspiration to the younger generation, growing and pioneering and providing a platform to speak out”. She was drilling a group of 12- to 14-year-old hip-hop dancers called 4Real when I met her. “I treat them as though they are professional dancers,” she says. “I’ve worked with them for about six years at The Dance Project (a community-based organisation that offers a variety of dance classes in Plumstead and Diep River) and they qualified to compete at the World Hip-Hop Dance Championship in Los Angeles three years ago.”
In the other half of the rehearsal studio, the Immortal Style breakdance crew was warming up. B-boy Salie, Ambrose Uren, Charlton Ramrattan, Carl Pietersen, Stanley Glendenhuys and Samuel Conradie have just returned from a tour that included performances in Amsterdam, Liverpool, Scotland and Zambia – a contract that materialised following an introduction to a UK client by Artscape Theatre management.
Cleo compares these self-taught street dancers to her eager young crew, marvelling at the ability of Cape Town’s Most Wanted to place them side by side – in studio and on the same performance platform. “Hip-hop literally saves people’s lives,” she says. “It’s not a cliché.”
The members of the Immortal Style crew grew up together and after competing in one competition, decided to stick together. Among their achievements is their two-time win of the Battle of the Year South Africa in 2008 and 2011. They may not have formal training, but they have discipline, explains Cleo.
“Although the 4Real dancers have learnt their craft in studio instead of on the street, they can learn so much from the more experienced crews – about how to interpret the music, how to freestyle, and how to work in a team.” The admiration for their heroes was clear as they watched them rehearse their trademark crowd-pleasing “explosive” moves.
An extra note is that while Vuelta Crew are unavailable to perform at Cape Town’s Most Wanted, they have qualified again to compete at the 2015 FISAF International World Fitness & Hip Hop Unite Championships in Martinique this December. Contact coach and choreographer at www.facebook.com/ marzanne.leroux.1 to see how you can help them get there. The crew has competed at this level for the past six years, winning silver medals twice and never placing lower than fourth. For more information: fisaf.martinique2015.com
l Cape Town’s Most Wanted takes place at Artscape Theatre tonight at 7.30pm and Saturday at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets: R80, 0861 915 8000. Block-bookings discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.