The Centre for Creative Arts was proud to host its fourth annual contemporary dance festival JOMBA! 2001.Thanks to all the dance companies, sponsors, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre staff and Llianne Loots, Jomba! artistic director for a fantastic ten days of dance. In four short years JOMBA! has taken its place as a groundbreaking dance festival where Durban plays host to the poetry and politics of contemporary South African dance and choreography. It is a space where Durban is given a chance to brush shoulders with the greats of local and international dance through not only watching incredible performances but through workshops, dance education projects, master classes and the numerous forums where JOMBA! ‘talks dance’. This year the CCA was proud to again welcome the partnership and support of FNB VITA in bringing JOMBA! alive.

SPONSORS: 

FNB Vita is the presenting sponsoring partner of the Jomba! 2001 Dance Experience, with the Royal Netherlands Embassy as principal sponsor.

Our thanks go to all our sponsors including,  First National Bank, Danish Centre for Culture and  Development, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), University of Natal, the Elizabeth Sneddon theatre  and the NSA art gallery.

We value the support of our sponsors.

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• FNB VITA COMMISSIONS FOR 2001

FNB VITA commissions two established choreographers/dancers each year to perform their work at JOMBA! Recipients of these FNB VITA grants for 2001 are the controversial Robyn Orlin and the internationally acclaimed Vincent Mantsoe.

	Choreographer: Robyn Orlin Photo: John Hogg

• ROBYN ORLIN will present her full length work "Daddy, I’ve seen this piece six times and I still don’t know why they’re hurting each other". Orlin has become somewhat of a high priestess of cutting edge South African dance theatre performance, creating work that breaks down the boundaries of fine art, dance, theatre and film. "Daddy" has successfully toured all over the world and JOMBA! is proud to host it first performances in Durban. The work itself is an astute and comical comment on our hybrid contemporary society – in the wry and cynical way that Orlin knows best where dancers entertain themselves on stage while ‘waiting for Robyn’!

Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe   performing in   MOTSWA HOLE photo ©  Suzy Bernstein

• VINCENT MANTSOE, one of the founder members of Gauteng based MOVING INTO DANCE, will perform 3 solos at JOMBA! He has been described as a dancer of "esoteric beauty and African spirituality" (The Star). He is no stranger to Durban audiences having performed at the 1999 JOMBA! festival. His increasing popularity and high calibre of African contemporary work has made him a beacon of light in the South African search for a dance language we can call our own – this has seen him touring all over the world and winning numerous dance awards both locally and internationally. He will perform his new work Motswa Hole only recently having premiered it in Gauteng, as well as two old favourites Phokwane and Barena.

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DURBAN’S BEST AT JOMBA!

The key mission statement for JOMBA! is to support and nurture Durban’s own local contemporary dance talent. This means that the CCA offers grants to local companies to create and premiere new work at the festival. This year sees the participation of award winning local companies:

• FANTASTIC FLYING FISH DANCE COMPANY – choreography by David Gouldie
  
  Fantastic Flying Fish Company photo cc Suzy Bernstein

• FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY – choreography by Lliane Loots

• PHENDUKA DANCE THEATRE – choreography by Sbonakaliso Ndaba and Sifiso Kweyama

• SIWELA SONKE DANCE THEATRE – choreography by Jay Pather (background photo shows Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre photo cc Storm Van Rensburg)

The CCA has also invited to JOMBA! 2001, Gauteng’s newest hot dance property the VUYANI DANCE THEATRE PROJECT. Run by choreographer and dancer Gregory Maqoma, VUYANI is the meeting place of Maqoma’a own African heritage and the incredible

contemporary dance training that he has received in Brussels in the PARTS school under the direction of Anne Teresa De Keersmaker. VUYANI interfaces European influences and sensibilities with a traditional African dance ethos – not to be missed!

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INTERNATIONAL GUESTS AT JOMBA!

Two wacky, alternative companies have been invited to JOMBA! – companies and dancers who are sure to challenge not only our definitions of dance by where we watch it as well …

• The WILDA DANCE COMPANY, with choreography and artistic direction by Tim Feldmann, hail all the way from Copenhagen in Denmark bringing with them their newest full length work The Exploded Man. Coming from sell-out seasons in Europe, this work is described as an "elegant hybrid of many art forms – a circus-cabaret noir of high intelligence. The Exploded Man includes text, live music, singing, ballet, flamenco and dancing musician.The occasional video animation and even a river dance find its way to the stage!" This is kick-butt European dance theatre for those with a serious sense of humour!        PHOTO: The Exploded Man. 

• VALÉRIE BURGER (France/Reunion) and SELLO PESO (South Africa) have collaborated to create a duet called Everyday. First performed at the FNB VITA Dance Umbrella in Johannesburg, Burger and Peso come to JOMBA! (with kind assistance from the French Institute) to perform their work at the NSA Gallery in Durban. Created for an outdoor space, Everyday. is a raw and beautiful work that explored the meeting of two incredible dancers and also the meeting of different spaces – inside and outside … and the simple need to survive it all. Photo VALÉRIE BURGER (France/Reunion) and SELLO PESO (South Africa) in  Everyday

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In making a commitment to the idea of DANCE FOR ALL, the CCA and FNB VITA offered a host of activities that support and nurture Durban’s hot new dance talent. A comprehensive programme of dance in schools and dance workshops were held through-out the ten days of JOMBA! The following are some of the workshops that were available to the public:

1. Robyn Orlin ran a free choreographic workshop for dancers, fine artists and actors over the age of 18 on Saturday 25 August (11 -1pm). Booking essential (260 2506)
2. Vincent Mantsoe hosted a free master class for dancers over the age of 16 on Saturday 1 August (9am – 11am) – University of Natal. Booking essential (260 2506)
3. Tim Feldmann (Denmark) ran a free series of 3 Release Technique classes for professional dancers. 29/30/31 August (9.30am – 11am) at the Fantastic Flying Fish Dance Studio. Booking essential (260 2506)

(for more information on the Schools’ programme contact 260 2506)

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FNB VITA NEW MOVES PROGRAMME:

  Every year FNB VITA and a committee of Durban choreographers go through an arduous process of selecting 5 young new choreographers to be recipients of the FNB VITA NEW MOVES grant. This grant is to help facilitate the creation of a new work and promote new talent for the JOMBA! festival. These works will be performed on the last Sunday of JOMBA! – 2 September (7pm). If last year is anything to go by, this is definitely an evening not to be missed!

This years recipients are:  

For the first time, the way has was opened for 8 selected performances to feature on the JOMBA! stage. The Fringe was open to anyone making CONTEMPORARY/Fusion dance work in KZN who would like an opportunity to perform their work in a professional environment. A committee of Durban’s finest choreographers selected 8 entrances for performance on Sunday 26 August (from 7pm).

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