The faces of 1996: This week and next, we speak to the four new recipients of the Standard Bank’s Young Artist Awards
DANCE: Itumeleng oa Mahabane
SOUTH Africa’s “current wonderboy of contemporary African choreography”, Vincent Mantsoe, is sitting patiently, fingering his bead necklace, in the lobby of the Braamfontein Recreation Centre, where the Moving into Dance studios are situated.
He says he jumped all over his house when he found out that he had won the 1996 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance. It comes as no surprise that the solo performance which won him a Vita Dance Umbrella pick of the fringe” award was titled Gula (Bird).
At the age of 24, with just six years of professional dance behind him, his achievements are astonishing. “There is no one else doing what I am doing right now,” he says without conceit.
Perhaps. While some of his influences are obviously drawn from African and especially Pedi traditions, which are exploited by other choreographers including Carly Dibakoane, Mantsoe’s choreography and movements are both familiar and singular. The piece he performed during the Arts Alive festival in September Hanano, a Japanese word meaning “Blessing of the Earth” — was mesmerising in the way it combined rites, tranquillity and finely tuned movements to depict a poignant
“You have to be careful and knowledgeable when you’re fusing different disciplines, otherwise it goes wrong,” he says. “You must understand both well, respect their quality and quantity, otherwise the results can be quite bad.”
Mantsoe’s dancing career began when he and a few friends formed a group called The Joy Dancers. They entered competitions around Soweto, performing pantsula dancing. The break came when a friend spotted an advertisement for auditions at Moving into Dance. Mantsoe won a place in the company, and made his entry into professional dance in 1989.
Since then he has collected the 1992 and 1993 Vita Dance Umbrella “pick of the fringe” awards, was named Vita’s Most Promising Male Dancer in 1993, and received a Vita Young Choreographer Grant in 1994. He has performed in Spain, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany. This week he left for Angola where Gula Matari — his solo piece, Gula, adapted for a group — will represent South Africa at the first Contemporary African Choreography competition, from November 17 to 20.
He stresses that Moving into Dance, where he is resident choreographer, will always remain his base. He feels it is the only company that will allow him to explore his chosen direction.
Mantsoe believes much potential remains untapped in the townships. He has completed a community dance teacher’s training course and would love to teach, but his schedule affords him little time — “I leave the country at least three times a year.”
Mantsoe sees his award as an opportunity not only for him, but also for Moving into Dance. “The entire company is elated. We don’t get to perform around the country enough. I’ve been wanting to perform at Grahamstown and this is an opportunity for the company.
“Once you get that opportunity you must take it. If something comes and you miss it, you never get the chance again.”
Next week, we profile Standard Bank Young Artist Award-winner for Theatre, Lara Foot Newton, and Award-winner for Music, Victor