By Tammy Ballantyne
The message at last night’s opening of the
16th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience was loud and clear: if
artists in SA are to continue telling stories and to do so without censure,
they have to take back the power and liberate themselves.
Lliane
Loots, Artistic Director of the festival, cut a lonely but statuesque figure on
the Elizabeth Sneddon stage as her war-cry rang out for artists to refuse to be
silenced; for companies to work together to realise powerful dance works that
carry messages of hope; to keep on finding the dialogue with society in the face
of interminable funding cuts, hopeless civil servants and a general disrespect
for artists.
