Johannesburg - The acclaimed dance troupe from South Africa, Via Katlehong, is set to perform its latest production, Via Injabulo, at the Joburg Theatre on June 29, July 1 and July 2.
This will be the first time that the group performs Via Injabulo for a South African audience after their shows in France, The Netherlands and Portugal and a recent performance at the Maitisong Festival in Gaborone.
This tour is supported by the French Institute of South Africa, the French Institute in Paris, and Total Energies Marketing South Africa.
Formed at the height of violence in the Katlehong area in 1992, this award-winning ensemble of dancers continues to fly the SA flag high internationally.
The dance group, Via Katlehong, has gained international acclaim for its performances, having completed successful tours of France and Europe, including a highlight performance at the prestigious Avignon Festival.
Buru Mohlabane, manager of Via Katlehong, said they are excited to perform before the SA audience once more.
‘’We are excited to finally bring our performance home to South Africa. Our previous tours on the international stage were incredibly successful, and we are thrilled to share our new work with our local fans and supporters,’’ Mohlabane said.
In the past, the group has collaborated with renowned choreographer Gregory Maqoma on a successful dance piece titled Via Kanana.
The group also brought in Amala Dianor (France/Senegal) and Marco da Silva Ferreira (Portugal) to bring a new creation to the stage: a double bill with two singular energies revolving around the joy of dancing and the desire of sharing.
Via Injabulo celebrates the spirit of community, culture, and tradition of the township of Katlehong through a unique blend of contemporary dance and South African pantsula dance.
With Emaphakathini, Amala Dianor based his work on a process of amalgamation, that is to say, a way of pushing back the borders, of moving the lines of separation, to find new spaces, new ‘’in-betweens’’ (emaphakathini) to be explored.
Form Informs by Marco da Silva Ferreira worked on reforming the metaphor of the body as an anthropological object carrying in it the memory of the past. For him, these bodies are forms expressing rebellion and the figure of the anti-hero.
The group’s combination of traditional African dance, hip-hop, and contemporary dance has captivated audiences around the world.
According to the review by the French newspaper Le Monde, Via Injabulo is an impressive mix of dance styles that are seamlessly woven together: ‘’The dancers of Via Katlehong were on a whirlwind escapade. Via Injabulo, the South African troupe, offers festival-goers some top-notch hip-hop entertainment. A beautiful tangle of unisons distributes squads of dancers whose staggering gestures, marked by rapping feet, are magically bound together,’’ the publication said.
Mohlabane has promised fans a performance worth remembering when they take over the Joburg Theatre stage for their three-legged performance in the City of Gold.
The Star