The history of dance in South Africa is marked by wars, hunts, wedding festivities, among others.
They are presented through regional sounds and music, which enrich the movements, giving greater enthusiasm to the rhythms.
The dance tradition is directly linked to theatre, the mixture of sounds and the movements themselves. Dances that feature personal struggles, that tell the tradition of miners, tribal rhythms, etc.
There are also classical ballet performances, where local dancers perform repertoire ballets with dancers already established abroad.
Among the most recent productions, we can highlight the project aimed at young patients at the unit of oncology at the Children's Hospital of the Red Cross, where they attended presentations of ballet.
Cape Town has an illustrious history, drawn up by Dulcie Howes of the Doto Ballet Academy in 1934.
After its creation, they developed several shows that were sponsored by the government, but from 1994, these were to become financially independent, leading to several cuts of dancers that made up the body of prom.
The most popular choreographers and dancers in South Africa are: Adelaide Tambo, Elizabeth Triegaardt and Keith Mackintosh.
In 1978, Sylvia Magogo created MIDM (Moving Into Dance Mophatong) as a social movement against apartheid, working to integrate people and Western and African cultures.
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Hence the “Afrofusion” style, mixing African rituals, country music and dances, with contemporary steps.
These presentations are internationally recognized, in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, among other locations.
MIDM also develops educational projects, such as “blankets of shame”, using the art of dance as a way to interact with school subjects. The project deals with themes such as love, death, lust, violence, healing and abuse of women and children; they also provide decent food for students, which has served as a foundation for changing their lives through art.
Jazz is also valued in South Africa. They have the Jazz Dance Teatre, an academy in Cape Town, which works with professional training in contemporary dance, in a mixture with African dance and Western culture.
The Jazz Dance Teatre expands social programs through work done with young people and children, in order to improve their skills. In 2009 they will perform in various locations around the world.
By Jussara de Barros
Graduated in Pedagogy
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
BARROS, Jussara de. "Dance in South Africa"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/africa-do-sul/danca-na-Africa-sul.htm. Accessed on June 29, 2021.
