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Out of South Africa
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African Footprint was an explosive spectacle of grace and energy
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This performance has such vibrancy, such energy. That's the youth of South Africa! Her Excellency Busi Kuzwayo
POETRY IN MOTION The years of training and hard work have helped meld the various forms into perfect synchrony PHOTO: V. SREENIVASAMURTHY
No matter how much the world changes, there are certain legacies that will never die. Chief among them is the legacy of Africa; the heritage of a continent that will always retain its mystery and exoticism, no matter how much it or the world changes. Bangaloreans were witness to that legacy last weekend, when African Footprint, the longest running musical from South Africa, was performed at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall at a celebration of the South African Freedom Day sponsored by the Tata Group, Kingfisher Airlines, South African Tourism and SAB Miller.
African odyssey
Inspired by a production from Sydney, African Footprint, according to Director Richard Loring, "conveys the journey that the youth of South Africa are travelling on, through the legacy of those who have been before, and the difference that the youth can make for the furthering of the new South Africa". It consists of a series of song and dance numbers loosely woven together to form a narrative that derives most of its material and themes from the poetry of legendary African poet Don Mattera from his book Azanian Love Songs. With a wide repertoire of dance styles from ballet, jive and jazz to contemporary, tap, gumboot and pantsula, and music in a variety of South African styles composed by Dave Pollecutt, the production was an explosive spectacle of sinuous grace and awesome energy.
It was easy to see why this production is the longest running musical in South Africa. Into its sixth year and well past 3,000 performances, African Footprint is a symphony of movement that few other productions can match. Technically, the production was almost without fault. Whether it was the fluid ballet and contemporary duets bursting with intense chemistry or the elaborate, fast-paced group sequences, the performance was a hallmark of precision and control.
According to Peter Taylor, Company Manager of African Footprint, almost all the performers have close to 10 years of professional dance training. And it showed. Although most of the sequences involved the entire cast of 17 dancers and 10 musicians and singers, not a beat was missed, not a hand or foot went out of place. After a point, one got the distinct impression that although 17 bodies occupied the stage space, they were all of one single mind.
Particularly impressive was the Saphiatown sequence. Here the story of a multi-ethnic neighbourhood mowed down to make space for a white population is told succinctly through tap. The performance might not have been as spectacular as Feet of Flames, but for the audience gathered in the auditorium, there were few sweeter sounds than the staccato tap of a well-polished black boot.
But while technical precision is impressive in itself, what transported the performance to a plane of its own was the sheer magnitude of raw energy filling the performance. In that sense, the performance strongly reminded one of Dollu Kunita, an image that is made especially resonant by the deep, resounding drums performed live. And with that energy came an uninhibited sensuality that made the impact of the performance far more immediate.
Although the performance ran for over 90 minutes, at the end of it all, as I finally remembered to breathe again, I couldn't help but feel that it was still too short. The sheer variety and range left the audience feeling as if the production had flashed by in an instant, a feeling shared by the performers too.
As Sandile Twala, one of the dancers explained: "When we were learning the production, it lasted so much longer. But when we perform, it goes by so fast that I often wonder: `How did I do this?'" Indeed, that is a question that many people asked, as the performer's literally bent themselves backwards in an effort to please audience.
As the performers bowed themselves off stage, the pride was evident on the face of Her Excellency Busi Kuzwayo, Consul General of the Republic of South Africa, and an instrumental factor in the production coming to India. "This performance has such vibrancy, such energy. That's the youth of South Africa!" she said.
The big miss
Perhaps the only cause for regret would be that not every seat in the house was filled. To think that so many missed what could only be called the performance of a lifetime is disappointing. But those that were at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall will carry that imprint for a long time to come.
RAKESH MEHAR
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