By Kristi-Leigh Gresse — JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience hosts ACE dance and music in their 25th Anniversary Edition. With their rich history of collaboration with Durban-based company FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY and JOMBA!’s founder and artistic director, Lliane Loots, the inclusion of ACE dance and music in the festival has been eagerly anticipated. Founded by…

By Thembela Sibiya — ACE dance and music presents “UNKHOWN REALMS”, a double-bill that transcends the past and the present. Performed at the Sneddon Theatre in Durban two distinct works make up the evening’s programme: “THE NIGHT BEFORE TOMORROW” choreographed by Burkina Faso’s Serge Aimé Coulibaly and “MANA — THE POWER WITHIN” by South…

By Kristi-Leigh Gresse — The JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience culminated in a truly delightful and fulfilling finale weekend in Durban. The audience was treated to an unforgettable solo performance entitled “Nothing Personal” by the incredible performer Virva Talonen, who also choreographed the piece. This was followed by another stunning piece entitled “Portable Home” (Chapter…

By Esese Kunene — In a mesmerising celebration of partnership and artistic expression, JOMBA! 2023 presented Virva Talonen solo, “Nothing Personal” as a tribute to her year-long collaboration with Durban’s FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY and this was followed after a short interval by the collaborative “Portable Home”. With the assistance of esteemed lighting designer Nanni…

By Samkelisiwe Nxumalo — Impressive work by one of the JOMBA! On The Edge awardees this year, Marcia Mzindle, who is a choreographer and a traditional healer in training. Her work “INTO EMDAKA” is available, until the end of the 2023 edition of the festival, on its YouTube channel… What a mind-blowing and inspiring…

By Kristi-Leigh Gresse — As one steps into the foyer of the Howard Collage Dome, located at the prestigious University of KwaZulu-Natal, a distinct fragrance of Imphepo permeates the air. This spiritual herb holds significance to many South Africans as it is used to cleanse and spiritually prepare a space before evoking their ancestors. …

By Thembela Sibiya — In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the world was forced into isolation with global lock-downs wreaking havoc, live performance industries and practitioners had a unique opportunity to explore the potentials for re-invention alongside an almost desperate will to survive. In this climate of COVID-19 havoc and public discourse…

By Kholeka Ngcobo — Helge Letonja from Germany is the choreographer of the intriguing UN-ZEIT that confronts the current situations and environments that the world is facing. The use of fog and lighting by Laurent Schneegans left me waiting, eagerly anticipating what will happen next or where will the dancers appear next. The dancers…

By Kristi-Leigh Gresse — Trans-generational trauma, our connection to it is profound and ubiquitous. We carry it in every fiber of our being, from the surface of our skin to the depths of our veins and the very air we breathe. Though it may not always be visible, it is an inseparable part of…