Coming adrift in territories of the mind: Jazzart explores memory and discovery
By Tammy Ballantyne (guest writer)
21st JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience
27 August 2019
In her opening night speech welcoming us all to the 21st edition of Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience, Dr. Lliane Loots, Artistic Director, spoke of coming “unstuck” from our home, how SA artists are exploring this idea of “un-stuckness” — “of being exiles in our own homelands”. She spoke of memory and forgetting, of baggage we carry to remind us of what came before, of displacement and loss: “…we have come unstuck from the land. To lose your land, is to lose your history, and it is, significantly, to lose memory.”
Jazzart Dance Theatre opened the festival with a poignant reflection on these themes called “Cape of Ghosts”, choreographed by Sifiso Kweyama, Artistic Director of Jazzart. Durban-born Kweyama was visibly excited to be back in his home-town with his young cast carrying the legacy of this 46-year old company high. Only four years into their training with Jazzart, these bodies bear the imprint of those pioneers who established and concretised the Jazzart signature — Sonje Mayo, Sue Parker, Alfred Hinkel, Dawn Langdown, John Linden and Jay Pather.
“Cape of Ghosts” draws us into a landscape of rejection, confrontation and revolution. The minimal set comprising wooden chair, red umbrella and two large rocks is inhabited by bodies upon which history has left its mark, and poetess Khadija Tracey Heeger traces the journey of slaves and migrants, of bodies sold as objects, of foreigners and “other-Africans”, of those held hostage in history.
Kweyama’s efficient form of short segments which segue into each other through silence, voiceovers, music and spoken word, threads the Khoisan voice throughout; a voice with that flavour of the Cape, the choreography expressive and fluid. Partnering is strong and fluid and the dynamic percussive footwork, so utterly Jazzart, is boldly rhythmic. The images of power and submission linger long afterwards, as bodies become things to be trod upon but continue to rise and survive, while the red umbrella bobs above, by turns a symbol of colonialism, shelter, protection and ownership.
Heeger’s voice rises at the end as she juxtaposes the ideas of ownership and freedom, as we continue to contest land rights — “Dit is myne nie, dit is joune nie.”
Jazzart graduate Shaun Oelf’s “Limitless Self” is the second work on the programme. It embodies the notion of charting interior landscapes, in particular those of the artist. Oelf’s choreography shows off the dancers’ versatility as they re-invent themselves in a quick, ever-moving piece that opens with sculptural bodies writhing and twisting on the stage. Whereas Kweyama’s work tackles memory and history, Oelf’s delves into the struggles of the inner self and creativity.
The six appear later in wide-legged pantsuits. Strong partnering is key as they jostle, jump, lurch and shudder into and off each other, calling “catch me”. Spasmodic and energetic sequences move into quieter and more lyrical phases and back again. Solos in bright spotlights and smooth duos are interspersed with ensemble work which highlights the strength and quality of the dancers’ training.
Jazzart impresses with the dancers’ on-stage focus and deeply-embedded shared rhythms which continue the legacy of this fine company.
