All about the upcoming live Jomba! Dance Experience

Image by John Hogg: Edna Jaime

The theme of this Jomba! centres around “the (im)possibility of home” and offers dance and theatre fans a treat of 13 days of world-class contemporary dance and performance from both local and international dance-makers.

Artists hail from Mozambique, Switzerland, Reunion Island, India and includes the very best that South Africa has to offer. This edition offers a powerhouse of performances, workshops, after-performance Q&A’s, panel discussions, virtual screen dance and the return of the Jomba! youth dance platform that aims to support the growth of Durban’s young dance communities.

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“We are thrilled and relieved to be finally presenting our much-loved festival – live and in-person while keeping some works and events online to include those not able to attend,” says artistic director and curator, Lliane Loots. “This year, through the theme “the (im)possibility of home”, we have set out to interrogate a series of dance offerings that negotiate heritage, culture, nostalgia, and identity, which explore a sense of belonging and how this persists, changes and transforms through time – and what a time (both local and global) for this moment!”

Within this theme, Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe will be honoured as the 2022 Jomba! Legacy Artist. “This year marks a 30-year history of Mantsoe’s career as a dancer and choreographer and we can think of no better way to honour this incredible icon in South Africa’s historical dance trajectory than to celebrate with him,” says Loots.

Image supplied: Mamela Nyamza

There will be a live performance of Mantsoe’s new solo work Koma, the screening of his short dance film Cut (part 1) made during lockdown and his two-year process of working with Durban’s Flatfoot Dance Company and the long journey to making Cut (part 2) – which will premiere at the festival. He will also present a masterclass.

Controversial and critical dance-makers Mamela Nyamza and Nelisiwe Xaba feature with Xaba opening this year's festival in a collaboration with Swiss dance maker Marie-Caroline Hominal in a work titled Hominal/Xaba.

The deeply interrogated and thoughtful Mamela Nyamza offers her newest work Grounded performed with her son Amkele Mandla, in which she offers us a look into her South Africa where democracy superficially seems to be in a working condition, but actually has small cracks not easy to see.

Image supplied: Vincent Mantsoe

In partnership with the Goethe-Institut South Africa, Jomba! will host the inimitable Mozambican dance-maker Edna Jaime in her remarkable solo Um Segundo (One Second).

Fana Tshabalala, the 2019 Jomba! Mellon Artist in Residence, makes a welcome return with his Broken Borders Arts Project to premiere his latest solo work Zann, which he began creating as part of the 2019 residency.

Three new works by Durban choreographers/dancers - Sandile Mkhize, Tegan Peacock, and Pavishen Paideya will premiere at the festival. All three were given grants to help push their creation of new local work in the Jomba! Edge mentored platform.

The Jomba! Youth Open Horizons (formerly the Youth Fringe), will feature a host of local dance talent at The Stable Theatre.

The virtual offerings include the Jomba! African Digital Voices, Open Horizons and an online panel discussion.

Image by Isabelle Meiser: Hominal/Xaba

The festival closes with a virtual conversation between Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts (Bangalore, India) and artist Simon Senn (Switzerland) looking at the dance work of this amazing centre and the incredible project between Senn and Bharatha Natyam dancer Rohee Oberoi.

There are three open workshops (dancers over 16 only) for dancers and dance-makers, an industry-related session entitled Jomba! Forging Futures, and the Jomba! Khuluma online writing residency will feature write-ups, interviews and reviews. More details to be announced soon.

Live performances take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre (UKZN), the Stable Theatre (one performance and free) as well as virtual/online (free) .

The Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience takes place from 30 August to 11 September. Tickets for Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre performances are R80 and R65 for students, scholars and pensioners. Booking can be done through Computicket.