Dancers Ayanda Dlamini and Sphelele Zandile Phili will perform in a very special free dance festival at the Playhouse tomorrow.
Image: Val Adamson
The KZN Dance Festival for Women – this year dubbed as the Rehab KZN - tells poignant stories of profound human emotion and experiences told through dance in a **free **afternoon dance festival tomorrow featuring collaborative work of five KZN dance groups.
The dancers are loosely interrogating the theme of “Rehab” - the action or process of rehabilitating to help a to lead a normal life again in a person’s recovery – especially in the context of women’s stories. The works find hope and sisterhood in tales of GBV, human trafficking and abuse. The overall message is upbeat, thoughtful and life affirming.
This project has been put together by Mandisa Ndlovu and her Dance Academy supported by Lucky Cele in partnership with Ulozolo Youth Organisation. Mandisa has built a career through dance and invests her energies into helping other women to use their voice through dance to tell their stories.
The soloists and dance groups, all of whom were selected during an open audition, come from communities throughout KZN. Five groups were selected. Sixty plus performers will appear in the programme. Ndlovu and Cele have travelled to each group separately to spend time working with them and rehearsing them in their own community spaces.
“There is so much talent throughout KZN, but it seldom comes together for the different groups to work with, and appreciate, fellow dancers from other regions. We were surprised that the standard of dancing was so high, and the routines are already so polished,” said Ndlovu. “The first time we hosted a similar festival, we were astonished how evolved, professional, polished and mature the pieces were,” she said.
The festival is at the Playhouse Loft Theatre tomorrow, Sunday 30 August at 3pm.
