Cape Town

New contemporary work from Underground Dance Theatre

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Multi award-winning Underground Dance Theatre tours their latest contemporary dance production LoveZero to Cape Town, Grahamstown and Bloemfontein.

LoveZero is a contemporary dance double-bill made up of Mode (choreographed by Steven van Wyk and Thalia Laric) and Cipher (choreographed by Cilna Katzke and Kristina Johnstone). It will appear on the Arena platform at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, the Youngblood Gallery in Cape Town, and the Vrystaat Kunstefees in Bloemfontein.

With two abstract dance works, LoveZero investigates the distance between memory and reason, emotion and logic. Continue reading →

Heritage symbols in post-colonial contexts

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AFAI will host a public debate on heritage symbols in post-colonial contexts, titled How do we interpret and manage living history in South Africa?’ on Monday, June 29 at 5.30 pm at the District Six Museum.

Panelists include Gcobani Sipoyo from the South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA), Dr Ashraf Jamal from CPUT, Mohammed Shabangu from the Open Stellenbosch Collective and Brian Kamanzi from the Rhodes Must Fall movement (UCT). The debate will be chaired by the D6M Director Bonita Bennet.

The recent removal of a statue of Cecil John Rhodes on the University of Cape Town’s Upper Campus stimulated vociferous debate on social media, public fora, seminar rooms and informal spaces around the country.

While much of the debate was about the structural racism that still defines many South African Higher Education institutions, the debate was also about heritage, collective memory and living history.

This debate seeks to tease out some of the different ways in which the ‘nation’ deals with statues and buildings that represent an oppressive past, and also articulate a complex and problematized present. In addition, the debate seeks to interrogate the ways in which, the ongoing project of transformation – both within universities and public spaces – can be dealt with in a post-colonial context.

In this way South Africa can reflect on recent events in light of how other post-colonial societies have managed the telling of history and the transformation of cultural/ heritage objects and symbols that shape a community’s consciousness (take India or Zimbabwe as examples).

The District Six Museum is at 25A Buitenkant Street, Cape Town, 8000. Please RSVP to Sophia at sophia@afai.org.za by Monday, June 29 10 am.

Final call for applications for the 2015 Baxter Dance Festival in October

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Following the success of the 10th anniversary of the hugely popular annual Baxter Dance Festival last year, the organisers are now calling for entries for 2015 from dance studios, schools, companies, groups and independent dance-makers, as well as proposals from choreographers (including a DVD of recent work).

The closing date for applications to participate in this year’s event is Monday, July 6, at 5pm and choreographers are strongly encouraged to send in their submissions as early as possible. Continue reading →

Relive the glory days of Freddie Mercury & Queen

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Cape Town will be given the opportunity to relive the glory days of Freddie Mercury and his iconic band Queen when Artscape Opera House hosts the world’s premier Queen tribute show Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic for a two-week run this November.

Recreating Queen’s 1986 World Tour concert, the show features all of the band’s greatest hits performed live including We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are the Champions and Fat-Bottomed Girls. Careful attention has been paid to all the music – the iconic voice of Mercury, the amazing guitar solos of May and the groundbreaking rock harmonies – plus audiences can expect all the big sound, lighting, effects and costumes of a full-scale rock concert.

The show is expected to be yet another hit for promoters Artscape Opera House who wowed sell-out crowds and drew critical acclaim for The Greatest Love of All – The Whitney Houston Show that played Artscape earlier this year.

In fact Queen – It’s a Kinda Magic is good enough to have attracted the attention, endorsement and eventual involvement of Peter Freestone, Freddie Mercury’s best friend, neighbour, biographer and personal assistant for 12 years.

After reviewing the show while in Singapore in 2007, Freestone was duly impressed and contacted promoter John Van Grinsven with his compliments. A friendship ensued and Freestone now tours with QIAKM where his schedule allows, acting as a production consultant for the show as well as signing autographs and chatting with Queen fans.

Englishman Giles Taylor will spearhead the role of Freddie Mercury with support from Australians Richie Baker, as Brian May on guitar, and Kyle Thompson, as Roger Taylor on drums, and South Africa’s Steven Dennett as John Deacon on bass.

In 2014 Taylor took on the coveted and complex role of Freddie Mercury. His career has seen him travel the world over the past 13 years, performing with artists such as Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), Gabrielle, Rick Wakeman, The Moody Blues, Martin Taylor, Richard O’Brien, Sir Jimmy Tarbuck and Dennis Waterman.

Despite this incredible roll call of colleagues, Taylor counts his role in Queen – It’s a Kinda Magic as one of the toughest musical roles he has encountered to date.

“Freddie was known for his powerful voice and vocal range, and had a very distinct character in general, so emulating him is quite a challenge, but those details need to be just right for a show of this magnitude. True Queen fans will appreciate the attention to detail,” says Taylor.

NEED TO KNOW

Queen – It’s a Kinda Magic runs from November 10-22 at Artscape Opera House. Tickets at Computicket.