In the spirit: Greg Maqoma says spirituality is important to him because it is closely linked to dance. Photo: Arthur Dlamini
I have never been to the National School of the Arts (NSA) in Braamfontein, where I am to meet dance icon Gregory Maqoma to talk about retirement, turning 50 and where he will spend this milestone birthday.
With no idea where to go, my intuition guides me to follow the music.
Through a window of the school’s dance studio, I catch my first glimpse of his rehearsal with Kitty Phetla, the choreographer and dancer known for being the first black ballerina to dance The Dying Swan solo in Russia.
They are preparing for Greg Maqoma and Friends, a celebration of his legacy, which is also his swan song as a dancer.
The duo is rehearsing a contemporary piece to ethereal Arabic sounds, moving from one corner to another, absorbed and in sync.
I stand in awe for a good five minutes, marvelling at how the body can convey a message in such a profound way, before quietly entering.
They continue dancing until they see my reflection in one of the mirrors of the hall. They break character and acknowledge me.
The lithe Maqoma, dressed in a black T-shirt and loose black yoga pants, glides towards me with a wide smile and open arms. His eyes are lit up, not only in welcome, but because he is still buzzing from doing what he loves most — dancing.
For Maqoma, dance provided an escape from the political tension in Soweto, his birthplace, in 1973.
His initial exposure to dance came from the singing and dancing of the mineworkers living near his home.
“I was a young boy, about nine or 10 years old, and I sensed something spiritual and captivating about it,” he recalls.
At around that time, he also witnessed Michael Jackson dancing on television.
“It was my first experience seeing a black man on television portrayed in such a positive light.
“Everything we saw served the apartheid government, isolating us as a people. It was violence against black bodies.
“But here I was seeing someone who was moving the world.”
This inspired Maqoma to merge the miners’ traditional moves with pop culture influences, unknowingly creating his own aesthetic and language of dance.
This culminated in a glittering career that has taken him around the world and seen him feted as one of the finest living dancers.
Over the years, there have been collaborations with the likes of Idris Elba, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Simphiwe Dana, Wouter Kellerman and David Tlale.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he ventured into film, co-creating Untold Secrets of the Heart Chamber and Retrace-Retract.
Maqoma has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government.
But his dance journey has not been without obstacles, especially since his family and teachers expected him to pursue a career in medicine, because of his excellent academic results.
“All my teachers wanted to hear about were my maths, physics and biology results because everyone believed I would become a medical doctor,” he says.
Maqoma had unwavering support from his mother, who created opportunities for him to perform during family gatherings. But his father was reluctant to accept his son’s love of dance at first.
It was after completing school, when he was told there was no money for medical studies, that he decided to fully commit to dance, recognising that he couldn’t ignore his gift and purpose.
For Maqoma, like many who grew up in townships, dance was a way to cope with a turbulent childhood. He started his formal training in 1990 at the Moving into Dance company where, in 2002, he became the associate artistic director.
“I always say that dance was my way of dealing with my trauma, the trauma from my childhood of growing up with smoke from burning tyres and smoke from teargas.”
If you’ve ever witnessed Maqoma dance, you understand that he moves with a spiritual presence.
“I always knew there was a dancer in my family — an ancestor who lived before me and now lives through me, someone who danced so passionately that they wouldn’t allow me to stop,” he remarks.
“I still believe that whatever we do is guarded and guided. Spirituality and dance are things I hold dear. Before I step on stage, I seek permission to be there.”
I recently watched Maqoma perform alongside Viwe Mkizwana and Simphiwe Sikhakhane at the Centre for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg.
During the performance, the audience was transported into a spiritual realm, with many shedding tears, clenching their fists, bowing their heads — all significant gestures in African spirituality.
There was a moment when Maqoma stood still during the performance, allowing the spirits to guide him.
“Somebody told me the other day that I can just stand still and they would still be moved by me.
“There’s a spirit I call upon and invite on stage to be with me. I pray about it, and afterwards, I express gratitude,” Maqoma says.
“As soon as I step on stage, it’s as though the universe is mine, and I know everyone in the room is there to give me all the strength I need.”
As we discuss spirituality, a bird flies into the studio. Without words, we acknowledged that the spirits were with us and approved.
Maqoma emphasises that these gifts are not solely ours; if we don’t seek permission and show gratitude, they can become destructive.
Maqoma and Phetla are on their feet throughout our conversation —as if they’re dancing — their constant motion contrasting with my seated note-taking position. They kept pacing and, while one spoke, the other broke into a tiny dance move. I wondered what silence meant to them.
“I am scared of silence because, even in its quietness, I hear things. I hear music. When you’re creative, your mind is constantly in motion,” Maqoma says. “You’re thinking about the next project, analysing the previous one and considering potential injuries.”
He stresses the importance of a genuine connection when collaborating. If there is no mutual attraction or alignment of purpose, he doesn’t force it. He believes the universe brings people together when the time is right.
“Look at Kitty and I — this has been a long time coming but the time was never right. The universe has brought us together now, because this is the perfect time. And this is how I treat all collaboration — as organic as possible,” he says.
Maqoma prepares carefully for each performance. He maintains high standards and believes in being consistent. Even when faced with physical discomfort, the motivation to perform well drives him.
“For example, if Kitty says I have an 11am slot at the NSA, I jump because that is a moment for me to better prepare. It is also a moment to sharpen so I am consistent. I will never go on stage feeling unprepared.
“So, I wake up, I go to the gym, I run and I do whatever needs to be done in order for me to uphold the very standards that I have set for myself as a performer,” he says.
You don’t have to be a dance expert to see that Maqoma is still a master of the stage. Why retire now?
He takes a long pause.
“I feel like I have reached my peak. It might sound arrogant but I don’t know where I am going to go from here as a dancer. I know I have a lot more to give as a choreographer, as a teacher, a director, a mentor and now an author.
“So, I said to myself, ‘Leave when you’re at your prime, leave while you’re still on top of your game,’ and I feel like it would be very shameful of me to try and be someone I can no longer be,” he says.
Maqoma is clearly still in incredible shape — not many people are as agile at 50.
But there are issues of legacy and time to take stock. And doing things like travelling and enjoying life while he still has the strength.
“Every project that I am making speaks to the type of ancestor I want to be. As I sit on my throne, what kind of work would I enjoy watching, experiencing by the next generation?”
There’s a week to go before Maqoma’s jam-packed GM50 Legacy weekend on 14 and 15 October, which includes the launch of his two books — Joy Dancer, a children’s picture book and one for young adults in four languages titled My Life, My Dance, My Soul — plus two big dance and music performances.
After all that, surely he deserves to rest on his actual 50th on Monday, 16 October? Not Maqoma. He will be on a plane crossing the Atlantic for farewell performances in the United States and then he’s off to Europe.
Next year, there will be further farewell concerts in the US, as well as in Europe, across Africa and in the Caribbean.
It will certainly be a long farewell.