Jill Waterman
FNB Vita Dance Umbrella has a record 200 entries for this year’s Johannesburg contemporary dance platform. The development and promotion of contemporary dance is the key concept driving the Dance Umbrella and the sister dance festivals in Cape Town, Durban and Grahamstown. FNB Vita is clearly achieving its goals through the success and expansion of these projects.
However, confusion still arises around the word contemporary when applied to dance and the FNB Vita dance series. Understanding the notion of “contemporary” is suitably complex and within this context it means that the festivals include many different dance styles and movement narratives which are being created for now.
The openness of these dance platforms allows them to be a vital seedbed for the growth of new choreographers and performers. With any new crop one does have creative and fruitful endeavours and some that bear little fruit at all. The Dance Umbrella stage always offers a wide range of performance and creative abilities.
The vitality of these seasons lies in the sharing of work from old and young practitioners and the heated debate which follows when discussing the dance work, its meaning and possible merits. Exciting times abound when one passionately tries to define and redefine dance and the role of the body and its potential or relevance as a communicator in our lives.
FNB Vita Dance Umbrella takes place from February 20 to March 18 at the Wits Theatre and the Wits Downstairs Theatre in Braamfontein; and the Dance Factory in Newtown. This annual happening is a national event. Thirteen different evening programmes have been scheduled, with new works from old favorites like Vincent Mantsoe, Gary Gordon, Robyn Orlin, Sylvia Glasser, Boyzie Cekwana, Moeketsi Koena, Jeanette Ginslov, Mark Hawkins and many, many more. Works by up- and-coming choreographers include Gladys Agulhas, Portia Mashigo, Busisiwe Ngebulana, Simon Nkosi, Greg Maqoma, Tracy Human and PJ Sabbagha.
Running alongside the performances are a series of workshops, by overseas artists at the Dance Factory. Michel Kelemenis from France will be holding a master class and lecture demonstration on March 2, Karin Post from the Netherlands will take a class on March 6 and Vicky Spooner on March 11 presents a seminar on Black Dance in the United Kingdom.
The development phase of the FNB Vita Dance Umbrella is presented through the two Stepping Stones programmes on February 20 and 27 starting at 9.30am. nnnThese community-nnbased platforms, which are staged at nthe Wits Theatre, focus on the youth and nnemerging choreographers. Entrance is free for the Stepping Stones performances.
Another area of expansion for the Dance Umbrella is the international interest in the South African dance scene, with overseas artists contributing their work to the Dance Umbrella platform. Kelemenis from France, Yazaki from Japan, Karttunen and Kyytinen from Finland, Hylton from the UK and Berger and Linyekula from Reunion and Post from the Netherlands will all be performing at the festival.
Many of these artists have brought themselves out to South Africa on independent finances or are part of cultural exchanges supported by the British Council, the Theater Instituut Netherlands, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Institute.
The fact that so many more international artists are wanting to be part of the Dance Umbrella is an important step for South African dance as a participant in the global dance industry.
FNB Vita have been sponsors for the dance platforms for the past seven years. Their vision and investment has clearly paid off with the positive expansion of contemporary dance in South Africa. Theatre arts are in a very vulnerable position in South Africa at the moment but dance is finding its voice in the theatres, as part of living heritage, through cultural exchange, in industrial theatre and as a growing part of everyday life.
More people are making dance-related works than ever before and the rapid increase in Dance Umbrella entries is proof of this positive growth.
Corporate investment in using dance development as part of social responsibility and company marketing strategies is shown through the financial support FNB gives to this project. Their support has been vital in underpinning the growth of South African dance as a contemporary art form. Business and Arts South Africa have also been strong supporters of this festival.
International festival programmers are paying attention to the Dance Umbrella and are coming to look for South African works to go to festivals overseas, thereby opening up further job opportunities for South African choreographers and dancers. Don’t let the foreign market be the major audience and the ones to appreciate and endorse our local work, come and support South African dancers and choreographers.
On asking Georgina Thomson, artistic director of the FNB Vita Dance Umbrella, what was important about Dance Umbrella 2000 she stated that the fresh and passionate work of new choreographers is something special to be experienced in the moment of performance.
Get yourself to where it is all happening!
Jill Waterman is a dance historian and cultural consultant. For information on programmes, venues and special prices, call Tel: (011) 442-8435 or Fax: (011) 442-8523. Alternatively visit www.computicket.com or www.artslink.co.za/fnb. Tickets can be purchased through Computicket or at the door