Jazzart Announces Heritage Month Production INJABULO at Artscape

Jazzart Dance Theatre has announced its Heritage Month production, INJABULO, which will be performed at the Artscape this September. With the production, Jazzart aims to celebrate the spirit of happiness embedded in South Africa's vibrant heritage through dance, the universal language that needs no translation.

The piece that gives the production its title, "Injabulo", is a new work that deals with sharing in the happiness of others. It deals with a group of dancers (Andile Vellum, Nkosinathi Sangweni, Tracey September and Yaseen Manual) that support each other. Each is confident in their own abilities yet wary of their shortcomings. When times are tough, they motivate each other to work towards the betterment of dance and society, simultaneously reflecting their playfulness when creating new works.

Three other pieces make up the programme of INJABULO, each tapping into the idea that happiness impossible to understand and appreciate without the experience of sadness.

"Ufundo", choreographed by Mziyanda Mancam, is performed by Jazzart's professional dancers Tracey September and Adam Malebo. The piece is an extension of Jazzart's collaboration with Andile Vellem and Yaseen Manual from Unmute Dance Company last year. In that collaboration, Vellem, used sign language as choreography, translating sign language into dance, a technique referred to as "sign dance". In "Ufundo", Mancam explores not only the challenges of deaf people, but the universal struggle to hear and be heard, to understand and be understood.

"Reservations", choreographed by Sifiso Kweyama, examines the insecurities in a relationship after one partner has deceived the other. Danced by Tracey September and Nkosinathi Sangweni, the piece explores the dynamics of relationships, compromise and forgiveness as well as the process of being able to understand oneself and others in order to to move beyond the pain of the past.

Finally, "Infinite Reflections", choreographed by Sifiso Kweyama, is a work that returns from Jazzart's trainee season in June. It deals with the experiences of the South African youth, exploring both their emotional suffering and their joy, which varies for each individual because of different backgrounds and demographics.

Jazzart Dance Theatre, founded in 1973, is acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading contemporary dance companies renowned both internationally and locally, as an award winning company that influences and preserves the sustainability of dance, choreography and dance performance. Dance is used as a transformation tool to integrate social awareness and cultural inclusiveness that embodies the nature of South Africa's Bill of Rights.

INJABULO runs from 15 - 17 September, with tickets costing R30 - R80. Bookings are through Computicket. The proceeds of the ticket sales for this production will be allocated to Jazzart's Outreach Programme, specifically to aspiring young dancers in Zwelethemba, Worcester.

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