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The Tribhangi Dance Theatre is fusing African and Indian dance in its 20th anniversary performance. Martial arts will also form part of the performance.
A MIXTURE of Indian and African dances will kick off the Indian Experience, Shared History festival in Johannesburg, when the Tribhangi Dance Theatre performs at the Fringe, at the Joburg Theatre Complex.
It runs from the 26 to 30 August. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Tribhangi Dance Theatre. Shared History is an initiative of Navdeep Suri, the consul-general of India.
Styles of dance will include martial arts and contemporary Indian
"The latest offering from Tribhangi will see the company being challenged as the styles of dance will include Kalari [martial arts], contemporary Indian styles as well as combining the more classical styles of Indian dance," according to Zaheda Mohamed, the media manager for the Tribhangi Dance Theatre.
"There will also be live musical accompaniment featuring musicians from India and South Africa. The programme will culminate with Tribhangi's most popular dance pieces."
The company's cutting edge work has earned it a reputation for being unique, says Mohamed, in presenting dance that is significant in our ever-changing environment.
Its 20th anniversary will be celebrated with a season performance of At Once, a collaboration of contemporary dances by Indian and African choreographers. It is a partnership between Jayesperi Moopen, the executive director of the Tribhangi Dance Theatre, and Hema Sundari Vellaluru, a choreographer from Bangalore.
Partnership
A choreographer and previously the artistic director of Tribhangi, Moopen brings a more traditional approach to the dance, which is interwoven with her own personal style of African and Indian form.
A 1997 FNB Vita Award winner, Moopen has earned recognition in South Africa for her pioneering efforts to bring together dance forms to bridge cultural divides, says Mohamed.
She was the chairperson for five years of Dance Alliance, a networking and lobbying organisation. Working in London, she was able to showcase her dance forms to Trinidad, Brazil and Ghana. Among her accomplishments, she has served on the board of directors of the Joburg Theatre Complex and the Sibikwa Community Theatre Project.
Moopen believes that all work should be created with truth and meaning, and through this one will organically find that work will resonate across the board. Having performed at multiple international events, she believes that global audiences are important, as are how they relate to forms that break barriers and combine different dance traditions to create interesting and dynamic dance narratives.
Vellaluru has extensive training and over 10 years experience in teaching, which includes Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi - dance forms from Andhra Pradesh. Some of the workshops she has attended include classes on African dance by Bode Lawal in London, ballet by Christine Lechner, contemporary dance by Nakula Somanna, from the London School of Contemporary Dance, and the Laban technique by Marina from Laban.
Tribhangi Dance Theatre annual season begins at the Fringe at the Joburg Theatre Complex in Braamfontein on Wednesday, 26 August at 11am. Shows are also scheduled for 27 August at 7pm; 28 August at 8pm; 29 August at 7pm; and 30 August at 3pm.
For further information contact Nafeesa Dangor on 082 886 2663 or email
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. Tickets for the Tribhangi Dance Theatre are available through Computicket outlets, on 083 915 8000 or 011 340 8000, or through the Computicket website , from R99 each.
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