In June this year (2024), Anderson Carvalho Dance & Choreography (ACDC) presented Dance Intersect in Cape Town, in the Baxter Pam Golding Theatre. The innovative programme included the premiere of ACDC’s new work, Silent Symphony of Feelings, featuring a company of dancers from South Africa, Poland, USA and the UK and live music accompaniment by American musician/composer Adam Claussen. The International Guest Company was Ballet de Barcelona from Spain. SboNdaba Dance from Cape Town was the Local Guest Company and was commissioned to create a new work especially for Dance Intersect 2024. Lee van der Merwe, also from Cape Town, was the Guest Choreographer. She was commissioned to create a new piece of dance theatre and was given the opportunity to hold an open call to cast her company for Dance Intersect.
ACDC produced this ambitious programme with only foreign funding. The programme was met with enthusiasm and ovations over its four performances and tremendous appreciation. It is not often that we get the opportunity to see a showcase of dance theatre in Cape Town, comprised of multiple companies and with a visiting company from abroad.
The programme was an intersection of a dazzling range of dance approaches and styles and very much cantilevered on neo-classical dance – where dance is the primary mode of expression – and not dominated by sets and costumes. Many people felt that they were attending a festival and were amazed that the programme was produced by one entity – ACDC. First up was ACDC with Silent Symphony of Feelings (32 minutes). This was followed by SboNdaba Dance’s Unwritten Messages (10 minutes) and Lee van der Merwe’s After Dark (10 minutes). Ballet de Barcelona was on stage with Tongue (27 minutes), closing the programme. See photos on this page of the impressive 10 page colour programme which was published for Dance Intersect.
Silent Symphony of Feelings was devised by choreographer Anderson Carvalho and the dancers who responded to an international call to audition. They worked during a five month residency in Cape Town at Ballet on Kloof studios. Carvalho’s choreographic approach is not only to work with his dancers but also to invite them to share their stories and we saw this in the multi-nuanced Silent Symphony of Feelings, with refrains from the dancers, for instance about their earliest memories, conveyed by voice overs and dance. One of the dancers mused that beyond holding on, was learning to let go. A wonderful aspect of Silent Symphony of Feelings was the interaction of Adam Claussen with the dancers. He composed the score and came on stage with his sax, towards the end of each performance. Each performance was different – with some improvisation by Claussen as he interacted with the figures on stage. As noted in the programme, Silent Symphony of Feelings is “inviting us to contemplate the intricate relationship between memories, past experiences, bodies, space, sound and our collective consciousness.” The intense narrative of dance was heightened not only by Claussen’s score but also by the intricate lighting design by Wilhelm Disbergen.
Unwritten Messages was signature SboNdaba Dance – with its intensely athletic and acrobatic dance – with urgency and physicality. From the programme: “There is an underlying level of communication between human beings that is never fully taught. It is not by language or culture. It is instinctive and inborn”.
Lee van der Merwe’s After Dark was set in a club, with protagonists playing out their stories – from the bar to the street, where they were waiting for an Uber. Wilhelm Disbergen’s contribution as lighting artist was evidenced by the 3D images he transposed onto the stage which provided exceptional depth and space to this piece which conjures up urban nightlife, so vividly. It is scenario which clubbers worldwide will relate to – processing what has gone in the night and what awaits as dawn breaks for another day.
Ballet de Barcelona’s Tongue was a deeply cerebral and conceptual work, inspired by the work and life of philosopher of Ludwig Wittgenstein, depicting a “transformative scenic journey full of images and metaphors through the movement of the body and its expressive capacity”.
Attending the season of Dance Intersect 2024 was a revelation and testimony to the vision and tenacity of Anderson Carvalho who is Brazilian by birth but lives in Holland. The company works on a seasonal basis, working from project to project, providing opportunities for dancers too work in dance residencies and be involved in creating the new dance works which time become part of the repertoire of ACDC. I first met Carvalho in May 2022, when he invited me to watch a dance showcase at The Joseph Stone Auditorium in Cape Town, which featured a work by ACDC and companies from Cape Town [https://thecaperobyn.co.za/dance-announcement-dance-intersect-2023-exciting-dance-platform-in-cape-town-with-public-performances-in-may/] The nascent concept developed into Dance Intersect which was presented in May 2023 at the Joseph Stone https://thecaperobyn.co.za/dance-announcement-dance-intersect-2023-exciting-dance-platform-in-cape-town-with-public-performances-in-may/
I was intrigued by Carvalho and this led to an interview about his life and work: https://thecaperobyn.co.za/interview-who-is-anderson-carvalho-the-brazilian-dutch-choreographer-talks-about-his-passion-for-the-african-continent-and-kindling-the-intersection-of-dance-across-nations-and-sensibilities
From the get-go of meeting Carvalho, he spoke about his plans to provide a vital platform for contemporary dance theatre in South Africa. Everything he said materialised in the 2024 Dance Intersect at the Baxter. Carvalho said he would bring out an international dance company to South Africa and he did this spectacularly with Ballet de Barcelona. There were 15 in the entourage by the way. Carvalho said he was committed to introducing a live music component and he delivered with saxophonist Adam Claussen. A biggie for me was seeing ACDC deliver on its mandate to commission new dance theatre by young choreographers. I don’t know of any other international company commissioning young choreographers from South Africa, to make a new work, with all expenses covered. How awesome is that. Lee van der Merwe was a worthy recipient of this honour.
As media support for Dance Intersect, I was involved in getting out pop-up interviews on social media and covering the season. I was waiting to hear about plans for Dance Intersect 2025, before writing an overview. As of writing at the beginning of October 2024, ACDC has not released details of the 2025 Dance Intersect season but it has announced the details for the open-call for auditions. Watch this space. The open call will be announced in next few weeks.
Video footage from Dance Intersect 2024, Cape Town:
Rehearsals for Silent Symphony of Feelings at Ballet on Kloof in Cape Town:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhMbKDhB/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhMbths6/
Anderson Carvalho of Anderson Carvalho Dance & Choreography – choreographer, Silent Symphony of Feelings by ACDC:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhA8APLb/
Adam Claussen, composer and on stage sax player, Silent Symphony of Feelings by ACDC, Dance Intersect 2024:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhA8uF2L/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhA8VuSb/
Lee van der Merwe, Guest Choreographer Dance Intersect 2024: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhALRaFV/
Rhapsody Stiggers (USA, based in Boston), dancer at Dance Intersect 2024, Silent Symphony of Feelings by ACDC:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhALdV8X/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhALFEug/
Ballet de Barcelona from Spain, International Guest Company, Dance Intersect 2024:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhA8WDrs/
✳ Featured image: Anderson Carvalho of Anderson Carvalho Dance & Choreography and the dancers in ACDC’s Silent Symphony of Feelings, performed at ACDC’s Dance Intersect 2024, June 6-8, 2024 in the Baxter Pam Golding Theatre. Featured image by Luqmaan Sambo-Joseph, supplied.
