OZ Arts Nashville Presents An Award-Winning Performance From South Africa This May

Contemporary arts center OZ Arts Nashville today announced it will present three performances of the internationally-acclaimed production Cion: Requiem of Ravel's Boléro by South African choreographer and director Gregory Maqoma in its expansive warehouse May 4-6.

The high-impact production - one of the most ambitious international presentations to ever appear on the OZ Arts stage - arrives in Nashville on its second tour of the United States, having been critically praised at such prestigious venues as Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, and New York's Joyce Theater, where it won two New York City Bessie Awards for "Best Production" and "Outstanding Music Composition."

Inspired by the South African author Zakes Mda's novel Cion and music from French composer Maurice Ravel's Boléro, Gregory Maqoma has described the production as "celebratory of our human experience," and a ritual to free the souls of "those who have departed, those who were taken from the continent through slavery" so that they may "find peace."

Carried by the transformative singing of a four-voice African gospel choir and ten dancers from Maqoma's stunning company, Vuyani Dance Theatre, this fusion of music and dance weaves a narrative of greed, power, and the pain of mourning through an engaging live score, based on the stirring harmonies of a Zulu style of singing known as Isicathamiya (perhaps best known from the music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo). The hauntingly complex and percussive performance is set in a graveyard, following the story of a designated mourner as he navigates the tension of a post-Apartheid South Africa. Incorporating Ravel's music through South African vocal traditions, Maqoma fuses world-class contemporary choreography with specific dance elements from African diaspora influences.

Maqoma developed Cion before the COVID-19 pandemic in response to political events at home in South Africa, but the production's undeniable focus on the intense connection the living have with departed souls is a topic more relevant than ever in recent years. The piece, which has appeared at the Kennedy Center among other notable venues, takes the complicated topics of death and mourning, and transforms them into a celebration of life for audiences across the world.

"We know that Maqoma's brilliant artistry and the unforgettable talents of the Vuyani Dance Theatre performers will resonate strongly with Nashville audiences, especially as our city navigates so many unique tragedies over the past several years," said Mark Murphy, Executive and Artistic Director of OZ Arts. "We are grateful to host this incredible company in Nashville for the very first time as they share this life-altering expression of mourning that is ultimately uplifting, celebrating the collective hope we can bring about together in the aftermath of loss."

Maqoma founded the Vuyani Dance Theatre in the late 90s with the vision to build a platform for South African artists to collaborate and become a catalyst for breaking cultural barriers. He has collaborated with many top artists from around the globe, including William Kentridge's acclaimed production The Head and the Load and Idris Elba and Kwame Kwei-Armah's new multimedia musical Tree, among others.

OZ Arts will present Cion: Requiem of Ravel's Boléro May 4-6 in its expansive creative warehouse. Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at the following link.

This performance is made possible with generous support from donors and grants. To learn more about upcoming performances, please visit www.ozartsnashville.org.

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