JC Zondi’s “Emb(race)” winner of the 2017 “Pick of the Fringe” Award… catch his “Class_filed” tonight as part of Jomba! On The Edge. Photography by Val Adamson.

‘On the Edge’ of your seat: Meet Kristi-Leigh Gresse and JC Zondi

A preview of JOMBA! On the Edge by Sizwe Hlophe

Lauren Warnecke
Sep 4, 2018 · 5 min read

On Saturday, choreographer JC Zondi was kind enough to let me interview him via e-mail. His work, “Classi_filed,” is one of three pieces that will be showcased on the JOMBA! On The Edge platform of this year’s JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience. His piece will be performed alongside Kristi-Leigh Gresse’s “Blank” and “Imvelo,” by Tshidiso’s Kabulu and Thamsanqa (Thami) Majela.

Zondi is the first born from a single mother of three. He has been living in PMB, Willowfountain for over 27 years, since he was born. He attended Nsikayethu C. High school, then University of KwaZulu-Natal, PMB. Initially Zondi had registered to study mathematics and psychology. Zondi also proudly says in his email he’s “not afraid to say that I was a math genius.” However when arriving to the University of KwaZulu-Natal, he realised he could choose drama and performance studies as an elective, which he selected due to his curiosity and love for entertainment.

In his email, Zondi mentions that his journey into dance was not always smooth since he did not have any technical training. He was greatly influenced by martial arts, having been inspired by Jackie Chan. Zondi continues to say that due to his inexperience in dance and his competitive nature, he woke up every morning at 6am to explore, experiment and discover movement in the Movement Studio Theatre at the Hexagon. “I kept practising and kept learning, finding choreographers who have contributed to my dance style like Ivan Perez (Spain) and Crystal Pite (Canada). Recently Hofesh Schecter has been a phenomenon to watch as well,” Zondi says.

Zondi has partaken in various festivals and competitions, and he is a director and writer as well. In 2016, he won the best of the uMgungundlovu Fringe award for “Burn-Out,” a work about the lives of paramedics. His play “Nonkululeko” (2017) won 1st prize and best script writer award at the same festival held at Winston Churchill.

Zondi has previously showcased four works on the JOMBA! Fringe, including “Intimate,” which won the inaugural “pick of the fringe” award in 2017. The piece dealt with what it means to be intimate in a dance space and in society, and how our bodies connect with one another. Winning the award led to the commission of this new work, which he has titled “Classi_filed.”

In a description of his work, Zondi says “Classi_filed” looks at clothes, questioning ideas behind the garments we wear. How do clothes create these identities and personalities that we conform to? He was curious to see what else clothes could mean. “What if they don’t mean anything? What if they carry memory?” he wrote.

It is all these questions and perhaps his hate for clothes has made him create the work. Zondi asked his performers as well what clothes meant to them. He was surprised to hear most saying they use clothes to hide who they are, concealing their true selves.

Zondi sees this opportunity as the first professional display of his work since the recent completion of his Masters of Arts degree in Drama and Performance Studies at UKZN. The piece, being 35-minutes, will be his longest work to date, and this brings great excitement to him.“Classi_filed” is co-directed by Simphiwe “Fiddy” Ngcobo and performed by Zondi with Lebohang Khoza, Londeka Zondi, Mpilo Manzini, Vuyo Ndawonde and Melissa Ngubo. Lighting for the premiere is designed by Julie Ballard (Chicago).

Yesterday afternoon I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with the ever-so-bubbly Kristi-Leigh Gresse in the Sneddon Coffee shop. Being in her presence is a humbling experience. Totally a different person to what you will see on stage, she wears a genuine smile on her face, has a great sense of humour and is completely relatable. Even though she had just completed an interview, she was kind enough to jump straight into mine. So after cracking her energy drink open and settling into our seats, we began.

Gresse is a Durban-based dancer. She started out with classical ballet and then branched out into modern dance. After completing her studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, she joined the Playhouse Dance Residency. She is also the recipient of a 2018 Standard Bank Gold Ovation award for her NAF Fringe work, “Sullied,” a work that premiered on the 2017 JOMBA! Fringe. Gresse acknowledges that platforms like these contribute to her growth as an artist. She is also working closely with Chicago-based lighting designer Julie Ballard.

When creating works, Gresse likes to deconstruct concepts and play around with them. She also loves watching how other people also deconstruct ideas in their creations. She calls her genre of work dance drama, but it is a term she is not fond of, as she is not a fan of “boxing-up” art and categorizing it. As an artist she strives to provoke the thoughts of the viewers, therefore creating a space for conversation. She hopes in the process of growing her craft she can eventually display her work internationally.

Gresse’s “Blank,” a solo performance which she has created and performs, is inspired by her journey through a personal relationship to find herself, moving away from “boxing” herself. She explores herself in a space she is not comfortable in, therefore entering a space where she has to confront her innocence, allowing herself to be as strong as she wants to be. This piece speaks to the objectification of the body, examining how women are put on a pedestal as if commodities ready to be purchased. Gresse would like people to attend the show with an open mind, with no expectations but coming into the space and go on this journey with her.

After having had the opportunity to spend time and listen to these artists’ ideas and goals, I can say with confidence that I look forward to engaging with their works tonight.

JOMBA! On the Edge takes place at 19.30 in the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. Tickets are R80, available at Computicket: http://bit.ly/2wzubVg, or at the box office an hour before the performance.

JOMBA!/KHULUMA Blog

Online KHULUMA publication for the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience Archives: http://jombakhuluma.blogspot.com

Lauren Warnecke

Written by

Chicago-based dance writer and critic

JOMBA!/KHULUMA Blog

Online KHULUMA publication for the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience Archives: http://jombakhuluma.blogspot.com

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