Expressions of uniqueness in Introdans’s “HubClub Special”
By Esese Kunene
Introdans, longtime visitors to JOMBA! provided an exhilarating dance extravaganza called “HubClub Special” on Friday 1 September. This performance delves deep into the realm of modern movement and the body as a powerful language of expression. They use dance to challenge the societal stereotypes of what a man should look like and what a woman should look like, encouraging people to be themselves and express themselves the way they want to. Originally created for a club environment, “HubClub Special” is an immersive programme and one that I personally felt a strong connection to!
The section of the programme titled “HIS” saw dancer Rutkay Özpinar perform a sensual belly-dance solo, in an ornate skirt, draped in glitter fringe around his hips, accentuating every isolation and flick of his hips! Belly-dance is ordinarily performed by women, representing historically, their fertility… to see Özpinar’s precision in the form is a fascinating engagement with gender fluidity and a challenge to the conventional roles imposed upon men and women. In another section of the programme, the audience is treated to a solo performance titled “Shift” which is choreographed and performed by Johannesburg’s Thapelo Ben Kotlolo. Kotlolo spent the month of June working with the Netherlands-based company and his presence in the “HubClub Special” adds to its flavour of uniqueness. He mixes Zulu dance with Swazi cultural dance steps and fuses these with contemporary dance in his exploration of identity. Kotlolo says of his solo “for most of us young queer individuals, club life is an important element of self-image… The nightlife means an opportunity to become self or at least who and how we wish to be seen”. His playful solo is both a celebration of his becoming, and a playful invitation to the audience to reconsider impositions of conventional gender roles in society. He is trying to spread his wings and be open to new things while remembering who he is and where he comes from.
The section titled “Sista1” featuring Eva Eikhout and Debbie Ruijter, choreographed by Adriaan Luteijn offers a tender relationship between two unique dancers who presented their dance of lifts, rolls and careful touch. This to me symbolised sisterhood. It was a way of representing women in a supportive and loving relationship outside of patriarchal ideals that put women in constant competition with one another.
Overall, “HubClub Special” is a celebration of humanity that inspires, delights and enlightens audiences through a very human experience. Through the power of dance “HubClub Special” aspires to promote acceptance, respect, and celebration of the rich diversity of human existence.
