Contemporary dance group intends to perform a piece that will provoke deep reflection. Picture: Supplied
Cape Town - If you are a dance fan, you could be in for a treat, as the Weekend Argus is giving away one of five double tickets to see one of South Africa's leading contemporary dance groups present a thought-provoking dance at Cape Town’s Artscape theatre later this month.
With Dane Hurst, Jazzart's recently appointed artistic director, ready to continue steering the dance company's creative path and consolidating its reputation, the triple play will be a combination of separate works - Wasteland, In Body as One, and Survive - displaying the multi-award-winning director, choreographer, dancer, and actor's creative abilities on his return from the UK.
In the hopes of providing a creative look at the complexities of the plays, Hurst said that with Survive, he wanted to make the audiences leave with a questioning mind and to examine their role in the planet’s future.
“Survive was inspired by the trials, tribulations and challenges that face many of us as professional dancers, but also who we (planet Earth’s people) are as individuals and as part of the human collective. The play looks at the future - how will we and our planet survive the growing onslaught of our fast consumerism that is breeding a mountain of waste each day. Will we work together to ensure that we and generations that come after us will have the environment to thrive and find peace? Can we collaborate, even?
“We hope the audiences leave with a questioning mind, to examine their role in the planet’s future and what they can do about ensuring our human and planet’s peace and prosperity, and we trust that they leave with an appreciation of the incredible energy, skill and creativity that goes into creating and performing professional dance works of this nature,” said Hurst.
Alongside Hurst, will be a debut work from choreographers such as Nathan Bartman and Ciara Baldwin who recently formed the company Manacan, as well as the award-winning team of Shaun Oelf and Grant van Ster of the Figure of 8 Dance Collective.
Making sure to dazzle audiences with their poise, virtuosity and technically thrilling athleticism, Bartman said that the pair feel inspired by the fact that no matter where one is from there's a connection through movement that brings everyone together and helps to spread a little light and peace into the world.
“Dance is such a vulnerable and unique way of delivering a message. We have often worked in different countries where we don't even speak the same language as the dancers we are working with, but somehow we all find such a deep connection through movement, as movement is a universal language.
“Using primal movement means that everybody is hopefully able to connect and relate with the work on a more human level. We would love to leave the audience with a sense of hope. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, if we all try our best to work together and accept and uplift each other,” said Bartman.
To stand a chance to win one of five double tickets to Jazz Art, which takes place from September 22 -24,
SMS: WAJAZZ, your name, email address and location to 33258.
The competition opens on Friday and closes on Tuesday, September 13 at 9am.
Winners will be notified via email.
SMSes costs R1.50.
Terms and conditions apply.