VIA KATLEHONG / MARCO DA SILVA FERREIRA / AMALA DIANOR

The South African company Via Katlehong has commissioned its new creation from two European dance talents: Amala Dianor and Marco da Silva Ferreira. Via Katlehong Dance is named after the East Rand township in South Africa, where it began, in 1992, as a community project in which young people found an escape from their difficult lives through dance. The basis is pantsula, an ultra-energetic dance, born during the apartheid regime. The strength of Via Katlehong is that the group innovatively combines pantsula with other dances, such as tap, step and gumboot, the ‘miner’s dance’ based on hitting the thighs and calves.

In førms inførms, the Portuguese Marco da Silva Ferreira explores the meaning of dance in the social context, how it can lead to a collective identity. Pantsula, house dance and other street dance styles are transformed into a pulsating cocktail of energy. In Emanathani, French-Senegalese choreographer Amala Dianor draws on the personal stories of the performers to eliminate the boundaries between people and dance disciplines. The aim is to create a new common space, an ‘intermediate space’, or Emanatatani in Zulu. The result is a big feast of exciting rhythms and shared energy.

Choreography First part – førm Inførms Marco Da Silva Ferreira / Choreography Second part – Emaphakathini Amala Dianor / Dancers Julia Burnhams, Monicca Magoro, Lungile Mahlangu, Tshepo Mohlabane, Kgadi Motsoane, Thato Qofela and Abel Vilakazi / Music førm Inførms Jonathan Uliel Saldanha / Music Emaphakathini Awir Leon / Lighting Cárin Geada / Costumes, Stylism førm Inførms Dark Dindie styling concept / Costumes, Stylism Emaphakathini Julia Burnham / Stage Manager Alexander Farmer / Project Directors Buru Mohlabane and Steven Faleni (Via Katlehong) / Booking Damien Valette / Coordination Louise Bailly
Producció Via Katlehong Dance, Damien Valette Prod / Coproduction Chaillot Théâtre National de la Danse, Théâtre de la Ville – Paris, Maison de la Danse – Lyon, Festival DDD – Teatro Municipal do Porto, Le Grand T – Théâtre de Loire Atlantique, Créteil – Maison des Arts, Festival d’Avignon, Espace 1789 – Scène conventionnée danse de Saint- Ouen