By: Princess Biyela
“Our identity as African is not something to ignore” stated
Lliane Loots in her opening speech at the opening of the 15th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance
Experience, evoking the memory of our forgotten roots. The evening’s powerful performances B.L.E.N.D.
and The King in Exile both challenged stereotypes around identity.
The show kicked off with an exhilarating duet which questioned
the identities and histories of these women artists. The work B.L.E.N.D. was
choreographed and performed by Desire Davids and Helene Cathala , both of whom
have a ballet background. It is a strange clash of racial identity, performed
with a thrilling, awkward focus on racial segregation. The piece begins almost
in darkness in a postmodern setting, fluorescent lamps hanging from above and
some placed around the stage, a silver bowl, a white box, speakers and
headphones. This piece heightens the postmodern aesthetics of their
choreography, which seems precisely soft, their individual styles of moving
influenced by their histories.
In silence, lights turn on; Cathala drags the speaker as if carrying
around the burden of the unfinished business of her life. Davids and Cathala both
carry the baggage of an identity crisis.
Images appear in multimedia and the audience is intrigued. Davids moves slowly, like in a trance whilst
trying to reconnect with her lost identity. Cathala stares at the audience
fiercely and then suddenly smiles. A line separates them. The use of `click’ sounds and an African drum beat draws us back to Davids’s khoi-san roots. The personal evokes
the political.
Francisco Camacho’s solo work The King in Exile also speaks about identity that is deeply
political. In an exploration of political power, this solo work reviews Camacho’s
ongoing search for a body whose identity is caught within the deceptions of
history and representation. Like a robot
he enters the stage wearing a fur coat, carrying a briefcase. Red soil trails
from his briefcase as he dances. His
moves vigorously, revealing the image of a king in exile as he attempts to
reconnect with his lost identity. As his fur coat drops to the floor, he struggles
to reconcile with his own forgotten roots, constantly fighting with his
briefcase which is handcuffed to his ankle. His gestures are solid and they
linger in representation of being (king). Each movement is very personal; he
has his own philosophy and aesthetics, his own discourse about identity and
power.
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