A microcosm of diversity with On the Edge’s trilogy of contemporary voices
A review of JOMBA! On the Edge by Sanam Sitaram
The three performances on the 2018 JOMBA! On the Edge platform prove that there is no shortage of dance talent in KZN. Both conceptually and performatively compelling, each work engaged in various aspects of identity. These voices and perspectives are often what draw us to contemporary and experimental dance, and leave us in awe when the execution is equally as bold.
The trilogy of dances took us on a journey, beginning with “Classi_fied,” JC Zondi’s exploration of class, culture, gender and status. The work cleverly makes use of items of clothing as a vehicle through which these ideas are conveyed. The dancers take on characters who begin on a silent stage, “frozen” as mannequins to be shaped by the social order in which they exist. “Classi_fied” has moments of great depth and earnest humanity, balanced by moments of lightness and joy. Whether the narrative is linear or not does not matter, as the work as a whole allows us to connect with the dancers themselves as we see them interact with one another on stage.
Kristi-Leigh Gresse’s “Blank” is irrefutably fierce. This solo work is both choreographed and danced by Gresse, who spends most of her time on a single box; a pedestal on which she is confined, as all women are within the cultural structures of the patriarchy. Gresse’s intricately controlled physicality and strength display her skill as a technically trained dancer, while the work remains almost defiant in its minimalism. It seems, at least from my perspective, to be a very clear choice made by Gresse. “Blank” is a choreographic work of art that can, without a doubt, be described as deeply feminist in every sense of the word. Gresse’s use of filmed content in the choreography blends seamlessly into both concept and execution and is not visually distracting on stage, as video can often be during dance works, and the work ends as darkly triumphant as it began.
“Imvelo” is the layered and honest result of two gifted dancer-choreographers coming together to explore intimacy in its rawest form. Tshediso Kabulu and Thamsanqa (Thami) Majela deal with conflicts around connection, power, pain and truth. “Imvelo” puts on display the messy realities of human relationships, and how one can often speak, but not listen. There is a sense that the work seems to explore the value of actions over words as Kabulu and Majela grapple with one another both physically and emotionally. “Imvelo” is, at times, painfully relatable, and can perhaps also be seen as an exploration of the truths and perceptions around masculinity and male intimacy.
All three performances were lit by Julie Ballard, expertly aiding the dancers in telling their stories through the use of shadow and light. JOMBA! On the Edge is a microcosm of the diversity of contemporary dance works that one can expect to see at the JOMBA! festival. The platform offered us a unique opportunity to soak up the artistic expressions of various talented dancers and choreographers as they shared their hearts with us on stage.
