Article: Madoda Ntuli
Sibikwa Dance Explosion: Be a Part of the Action
Next month brings with it a red letter day for Gauteng’s dance community.
Don’t be caught unawares!
DIARISE MARCH 21st
The Sibikwa Arts Centre in Benoni South will be the venue for all things dance on Human Rights Day, March 21st. Dancers from around Gauteng are invited to participate in the Dance Explosion, an opportunity for new and established artists to showcase their work at Sibikwa’s recently refurbished theatre. This event was a tremendous success last year, with over 20 dance companies participating.
WORK WITH THE SIBIKWA DANCE COMPANY
Groups taking part will have the opportunity to work during rehearsal with members of Sibikwa’s Dance Company, which was nominated for an Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival last year. The two-year-old company, which has already toured nationally and to Mozambique, will also be performing new work at the event. This will be real treat for dance lovers, as the group already enjoys a nationwide reputation for creativity and flair.
“The Sibikwa Arts Dance Company continues to explore innovative new South African dance styles, merging Asian forms with an African sensibility,” says Artistic Director Phyllis Klotz, “The company has an exciting programme for the year, including working at Goethe on Main and the Arena platform at the Grahamstown Festival. There will also be lecture/demonstrations in schools, and community work and performances at festivals nationally.”
A WORTHY LEADER
This year, The Sibikwa Arts Dance Company will be headed by Thabo Rapoo, who was the recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for 2008/9.
Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of this vibrant dancer’s career is that it grew “from the street up”. Thabo started dancing with a Pantsula group in the mid-’80s, although it was a three-year diploma in Dance at the Johannesburg Dance Foundation that would unleash his potential by exposing him to a wide range of styles. His professional dance career began in 2002, when he entered two works at the FNB Vita Dance Umbrella. These were well-received, and earned him the prestige he needed to further his craft.
Thabo’s work has not only been enjoyed in Gauteng, but has taken him to the Grahamstown National Art Festival - and as far afield as Italy, Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden. He frequently holds workshops in South Africa and Botswana, and is on an unending mission to foster new and upcoming talent.
In addition to this tireless terpsichorean’s various postings in dance education, he has choreographed openings for prestigious TV shows and expositions, and has performed internationally - including in Indonesia, where
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