The 11th BAXTER DANCE FESTIVAL triumphed artistically and financially against the odds writes DEBBIE HATHWAY
ATTRACTING less funding than usual for the 11th B axter Dance Festival did nothing to dampen the spirit of the organisers, who are well used to struggling to sustain a viable platform for artistic expression for new and established artists. That struggle makes their successes all the more worthy of celebration.
Festival artistic director Nicolette Moses said that ticket sales, combined with support from the Rolf-Stephan Nussbaum Foundation, Tsogo Sun, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) and Distell, together with ticket sales, ensured that they covered costs.
Over the years the festival has “helped to shape the lives of aspiring dancers and choreographers, who have, in turn, impacted the local dance landscape positively. I truly hope that this will encourage other sponsors in the private or government sectors to partner us and become part of the largest dance event in our city,” she said.
While it would have been encouraging to see more bums on seats for the main programme, the off-main and fringe programmes sold out. The main programme featured works by established professionals, including Abeedah Medell, Adele Blank, Anderson Carvalho, Belinda Nusser, Douglas Griffiths, Kristina Johnstone, Cilna Katzke, Louise Coetzer, Tercia Amsterdam, Mthuthuzeli November, Bradley Shelver, Celeste Botha, Marlin Zoutman, Ebrahim Medell, Yaseen Manuel, Zoey Lapinsky, Ananda Fuchs, Byron Klassen, Gabriella Bishop, Mishkaah Medell, Mzo Gasa, Sbonakaliso Ndaba and Shaun Oelf.
The off-main programme was allocated to fledgling choreographers, while the fringe stage featured creations by dance studios as well as youth, school and traditional dance groups.
The opening night performance by the Nuwe Graskoue Trappers, gold medallists at this year’s World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, brought the house down with their performances of the oldest dance form in South Africa – the traditional ceremonial style of the Khoi and San – accompanied by a live band. More than a few members of the audience were attempting their fancy footwork the following day!
Another one-night-only performance of The Last Attitude by Mamela Nyamza and Nelisiwe Xaba left some questioning whether that could be classified as a dance work, while others relished their satirical take on the role of the male classical ballet dancer. Kudos to both women for acting and dancing their parts so well, and to the young Cape Academy of Performing Arts and the Dance Centre students in the corps de ballet.
Relatively new choreographers Douglas Griffiths and Mthuthuzeli November kept company with more established peers in the onset of the main programme, including “living legend” Adele Blank, who has accumulated more than 50 years in the industry.
The composition and execution of November’s Calligraphy, performed by Cape Dance Company II, has been improved since its debut with changes “mainly to the pas de deux”. I can't resist noting Odwa Makanda’s powerful presence and strong partnering (which at times left his partners airborne during lifts). He is a pleasure to watch while his confidence and ability continues to develop.
The progression of the Dance for All Inspirations Youth Company impresses in the same vein, in this instance choreographed by Anderson Carvalho and directed by Allison Hendricks. They performed Exchange on the same bill as Yaotl Physical Art Company’s Absent by Blank and Iesu Escalante, as well as Bradley Shelver’s She & Him, Him & Her, He & I, Us & Them by Cape Dance Company (CDC).
Shelver’s piece has settled beautifully since the rehearsal phase and marks another wonderful addition to CDC’s repertoire. Escalante performed with his wife, Tamryn, his seemingly awkward movements and alarming lack of direct eye contact with her was brilliantly designed to demonstrate the discordant, hysterical and unconventional aspects of life and our reactions to them. This couple’s flawless performance was one of the most moving of the festival.
The final segment of the main programme was certainly a case of saving the best for last; it was certainly the best of this format that I’ve seen. Kudos especially to the newer choreographers Shaun Oelf and Mishkaah Medell and the newer performers in Sbonakaliso Ndaba’s Indoni Dance Arts and Leadership Academy and Ananda Fuchs’ Somnatic Jam Dance Collective. Gabriella Bishop’s innovative costuming contributed a great deal to the presentation of the Yellow Glove Collective’s Trigger Warnings, an interpretation of how to cope with things that upset us.
Mzo Gasa’s Abangabonwa, workshopped with and performed by Sibonela Dance Project, is in my opinion by far the best he’s ever produced (and the dancers were outstanding), while Byron Klassen’s Elk-Een by Garage Dance Ensemble surpassed all expectations. His choice of Mahler for the musical score was inspired, to say the least; the choreography the mark of an artist bound to do great things. His mentors can be justifiably proud.
“Since its inception in 2004 the festival has left an indelible mark on the performing arts landscape. Close to 600 local choreographers have presented their work, featuring nearly 5 000 dancers in dance genres including contemporary, classical, African, modern and Spanish,” says Moses.
Dance patrons who missed this definitely missed out. Several of the choreographers and companies featured often host their own seasons and here was an opportunity to see many of them share the same stage, for the cost of one ticket, in between international commitments in some instances.
It doesn’t get better than this.