The triple bill is a dynamic combination of three individual choreographies that all explore the concept of space in different circumstances: Changing Spaces by Celeste Botha, Power by Lulu Sala, and Mine! By Theo Ndindwa & Tanya Arshamian.
It was created in 2012/13 and was premiered in January 2013 at the Oude Libertas Theatre in Stellenbosch which led to a commission for the presentation of the production at the Infecting The City Festival in March 2013. It was presented again in April at the Harare International Festival of Arts, Zimbabwe, and in June at the Artscape Theatre, Cape Town.
My Space? is a dance theatre production that explores the sharing of space, be it in intimate relationships, the controlling of spaces by government, or the ownership of public space by a society. Through movement, the dancers display this natural need for control – a human instinct that in turn provides us with either power, a sense of ownership and the comfort of belonging, or a feeling of rejection, loneliness and displacement.
It features choreography by Lulu Sala, internationally experienced dancer, choreographer and teacher from Mozambique; South African performer and UCT contemporary dance teacher, Celeste Botha, who has also choreographed several pieces for the popular SABC TV show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’; and iKapa’s Directors/Choreographers, Theo Ndindwa and Tanya Arshamian.
Lulu Sala, who has staged his internationally acclaimed Power with the iKapa Dance Theatre artists, worked with the company intensively for one month and is excited that his creation will now be seen in South Africa. Power plays with the theme of the fight for power, the manipulation of power and the abuse of power by governing parties.
Celeste Botha, who dances in the production, has created Changing Spaces; the contemporary work is inspired by the changes that occur in one’s relationships by interacting with and relating to others. She utilises the set to provide boundaries within, and between the artists, thus affecting their relationships and the emotions this evokes.
Directors Theo Ndindwa and Tanya Arshamian have choreographed the final work for the triple bill, Mine! This neo-classical / contemporary trio utilises the idea of different spaces being contained in a multi-dimension through large steel cubes, that not only act as a set but also as props for the dancers. This work questions what is my space? What is shared space? Or is it just a space?
The three choreographers’ individual creations are technically demanding, aesthetically beautiful as well as physically and emotionally engaging. All three pieces combine seamlessly and complement each other, with their unique styles clearly displayed, making for a dynamic production.