Human rights extends to our environment and how it sustains us – physically (food, water etc) and emotionally (the joy of a sunrise, seeing a seed sprouting etc). Dovetailing with Human Rights Day South Africa 2024, SboNdaba Dance presented its new work, Our Mother the Earth – Where will our children play? – at Artscape in Cape Town. I put up a quickie review on Facebook and here I am re-posting some of my insights on TheCapeRobyn. Our Mother the Earth – Where will our children play? is an exceptional piece of dance theatre. [See https://thecaperobyn.co.za/dance-theatre-news-our-mother-the-earth-where-will-our-children-play-sbondaba-dance-premiere-cape-town-march-2024/ for info about the premiere season of the piece in march 2024 in Cape Town]
I was bowled over. This highly charged piece of dance theatre has been magnificently choreographed and directed by Sbonakaliso Ndaba (artistic director of the company). The narrative is powerfully conveyed visually through the non-verbal language of dance, voice overs, audio visuals on a screen and carefully chosen props – beautifully composed – a yellow desk, a red chair, a globe of the world. The whole piece has been exquisitely conceptualised with stirring sound design and lighting.
And the dance – mind blowing to watch the company in an intensely physical piece. I would say that there are heightened elements of cirque and contemporary circus – acrobatic and athletic – but finessed with an extraordinary dance vocabulary and expression. I was literally holding my breath – watching a backflip transmuting into a leg hoist and a form which reminds of a tree – perhaps a yoga tree. I was reminded of the palanca in Spanish tango – levering a woman to assist her in jumping. With this company, gender is seamless as each body in space is part of the root system of this body of work.
There is a sense of bodies and limbs being rooted and going in multiple directions, seeking connections. The focus is incredible- the trust to catch each other – to flip off a limb and not fall. And emerging like a puppet goddess (a dancer on stilts?) in a flowing dress is the wondrous towering figure- perhaps it is Mother Earth, watching us. I was entranced by this apparition- a spirit hovering.
Focus is a message of Our Mother – as conveyed in the impassioned voice over. We must not lose focus of what is important and we must treasure our landscape, as individuals. Do not rant about climate change. Be the change agent.
There is a lot of play and wonder. An image of a root on the screen sprouts and it becomes the face of a dancer. Magic. The piece pinged for me in reference to Bob Fosse chairs and other references- Eurocentric and from the Africa continent. I see echoes of effigies of hunters and gatherers, painted on the red earth walls of caves in Africa. There is so much to consider in this complex work. It would be wonderful to have live music accompaniment- the universal beat of the earth in tempo with the dancers.
I do think that the piece could be trimmed. The running time was over an hour long when I saw it today. I also think that all the stuff about load shedding is not necessary. However the young audience loved it.
Sbo Ndaba is masterful in her placing and pacing. Watch how the different groupings play out their own stories on stage, illuminated by a beautifully calibrated lighting plot – the play of light and dark – bodies and limbs – nesting and growing. The energy and passion of the dancers is visceral and palpable. Their strength and resilience comes across but so does their sheer joy of dancing – effortlessly -through complex intricate sequences – with grace and power.
Our Mother the Earth – Where will our children play? is an astounding piece of dance theatre. SboNdaba Dance deserves to tour abroad with this exceptional piece. Tremendous work and care has gone into this epic and poignant production. The choreography is a wow- inspired, innovative, and powerful. There are moments of whimsy and fun. The artistry of the company and its theatrical expression is phenomenal. Impressive design and lighting. Please, please can this be staged again. Bravo.
✳ Featured image: Robyn Cohen/TheCapeRobyn, March 20, Artscape, Cape Town: Our Mother the Earth – Where will our children play? – presented by SboNdaba Dance
