Nexus at the Artscape

Dancer Gabriella Dirkse

Jazzart Dance Theatre’s production entitled Nexus will be staged at the Artscape on Friday November 23 and Saturday November 24.

Nexus consists of a series of works which will be performed.

“This production of Nexus portrays human interconnection by degrees of separation and cohesion, and comments on the process of bonding that exists after initial contact with others. We are bound by many commonalities, not least of all our universal need to belong,” says artistic director Sifiso Kweyama.

Cape of Ghosts, previously entitled Space, created by Sifiso and the Jazzart Dance Theatre 2018 graduates, digs deep to find the core of what constitutes the ownership of land. The dancers are accompanied by Khadija Tracey Heeger’s poem, Issie myne nie, issie joune nie.

The commissioned work created by dancer Shaun Oelf, a past graduate and company member of Jazzart, is called Limitless Self. It explores the pinnacles of discovering one’s self.

A partnership with UCT’s Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies has resulted in a piece choreographed by Kweyama and entitled Point of Connections.

The movement language of Point of Connections was created by Jazzart’s junior company members and shared with the UCT students to explore further, under the direction of Kweyama. The idea is to share our experiences through movement and learn from each other.

Jazzart and Chrysalis Academy have also solidified a mutually beneficial partnership in 2018, by creating a nine-month dance leadership programme housed at the academy in Tokai.

Eighteen young adults have attended the full-time programme focused on dance, psychosomatic processes and leadership development, all facilitated by therapeutic and movement practitioners.

A dance work from this programme is call Exurgent, which is about growth, camaraderie and resilience.

“This new season intends to display and celebrate dance as a tool to excite the soul by offering possibilities for connection and collaboration,” says Kweyama.

Nexus is at 7.30pm on Friday November 23 and at 3pm and 7.30pm on Saturday November 24. Tickets cost R100. Book through Computicket.