Umsenge Dance Theatre from Grahamstown are very excited about their show centred around anti-racism,
Chaotic Creatures.
Umsenge Dance Theatre from Grahamstown are very excited about their show centred around anti-racism,
Chaotic Creatures.
The cast is made up of two teenagers from Joza, a second year drama student and a drama masters graduate from Rhodes University who is also the artistic director of the show.
Siphesihle Losi and Ntombizandile Nonyati, the two Joza performers, were recruited from the township dance group, Amaphiko Township Dancers, under the directorship of Janet Buckland and will be making their debut at this year’s National Arts Festival.
The group is funded by the Festival as a way of bringing attention to social issues and provide work opportunities for local artists who are skilled and talented but unemployed.
The creators of the show wanted to produce a contemporary dance performance in a public space that also has sustainability for after the Festival.
The main reason for this is the issue it addresses: racism. It started with the Green Skin anti racism initiative which was started in April this year.
The movement promotes the idea of a non-racial South Africa and encourages people to protest against racism by painting their faces green.
This symbolises that we are all the same, belonging to one human race. The performance tells a story about two groups of creatures who represent people of different races.
The groups of dancers will start performing from outside the Victoria Girls’ High School and from outside Oatlands Primary School in search for orbs with their specific colour paint.
They will then smear this on themselves as a reaffirmation of their identity. As the creatures encounter one another, they start trying to destroy each others’ orbs which represent their cuture in order to assert their own.
In the end, the dancers will merge with each other and eventually all become green. This Main programme street performance will take place at the Drosty Lawns throughout the Festival. But be prepared to have your face painted green too!
