International films at Dance Umbrella 2011

Dance Umbrella 2011 is offering dance enthusiasts an opportunity to watch three films that have been selected:

• On Sunday February 26, a documentary film, Do we need Coca Cola to dancwby Qudus Onikeku (Nigeria), will be shown at the Dance Factory, Newtown at 3pm. This film was compiled and researched by the choreographer as he travelled through Africa documenting the state of contemporary dance on the continent. It contains various interviews and performances.

• Two films that reflect on the life of the legendary German choreographer Pina Bausch have been scheduled for March 1 at 5:30pm and March 3 at 6pm at The Nunnery, Wits University Campus. Auf Der Suche Nach Tanz will be shown on March 1 and Cafe Muller Fruhlingsopfer on March 3. At both showings a talk will be given by Norbet Servos from Germany, who will be in South Africa in partnership with the Goethe-Institut, South Africa.

  Born in 1956 in Germany near Cologne, Servos was a co-founder of the magazine ‘Ballett international” and for seven years was a member of the editorial board. Within this time the magazine developed into the leading dance magazine in Europe. Since 1983 he has worked as a freelance choreographer and writer and published fifteen books on Pina Bausch and the development of German Dance Theatre as well as poetry. He has choreographed 20 dance pieces in Germany and abroad which were invited to international dance festivals. Besides his choreographic work he is a guest teacher and lecturer for contemporary dance and choreography. In 1993 he founded DanceLab Berlin at the Academy of Arts. For DanceLab he created numerous pieces, among others the prize winning dance film Elements of Mine(2004) for Arte/NDR with dancers Jorge Morro and Nicola Mascia and the dance theatre piece Drink, Smoke — Made In Havana (2004), a co-production with DanzAbierta Cuba. At the end of 2005 he published Schritte verfolgen — Die Tänzerin und Choreographin Susanne Linke and in 2008 Solange man unterwegs ist — Die Tänzerin und Choreographin Reinhild Hoffmann and Pina Bausch — Dance Theatre, all at the K. Kieser Verlag, Munich. At the moment he is writing a new book on choreographer Arila Siegert for the Academy of Arts in Berlin. In 2009 he directed the international dance festival Tanzwelten in Braunschweig, where he also premiered his new dance theatre production Valbarena together with Jorge Morro.

  Bookings for Dance Umbrella 2011 can be made by calling Computicket – 083 915 8000 / www.computicket.com for all performances at the Dance Factory and the UJ Arts Centre; and Strictly Tickets – 073 725 7381 or online at www.ticket.co.za for all performances at the Wits Theatre. Ticket prices range from R60 to R100. Block bookings discounts are available – please call 083 570 3083 for further information.
  For further information contact 011 492 0709/2033 or email [email protected]. The Dance Umbrella 2011 hot-line for updates and programme schedules is 072 703 9332. Visit www.artslink.co.za/arts.