Reflection and Reflex a dance piece is headed to the Market Theatre

By CityLife Arts Writer

Broken Borders Arts Project in association with the Market Theatre presents Reflection and Reflexa contemporary dance piece for 6 days only from Tuesday 17 – Sunday 22 May 2022.

“Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It’s the rhythm of your life. It’s the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy.” -Jacques d’Amboise

A trio of bodies and steel intertwine to reveal images, movements of connection and isolation. Two men dance in poetic relationship to a sculpture of steel, evolving in multiple forms. This play of contrasts between light and shadow, inner and exterior worlds, is Reflection and Reflex – a magical but deeply painful new work from Thulani Chauke and Fana Tshabalala. 

After two years of regulations and isolation, the internationally renowned dancers first staged this work of embodied lyricism at the Con Cowan Theatre in 2021. Gerard Bester, who has recently joined the Market Theatre family, has been invited to cast an eye and distil the work for the John Kani stage. 

Since its inception, Broken Borders Arts Project has been committed to creating South African Dance theatre that critically interrogates personal and social issues. It has consistently collaborated with local and international performers, choreographers, and theatre practitioners to present quality theatre works and residencies at both a national and international level.

Breathing new life to the piece as the Director is Gerard Bester who’s notable directing projects includeinternationally acclaimed Beautiful Me for Gregory Maqoma, the award winning Attachments (nos. 1-7), Athena Mazarakis’ FlickerNhlanhla Mahlangu’s Chant and The Cenotaph of Dan WaMoriri with Tony Miyambo.

Reflection and Reflex was masterfully created and choreographed by award winning dance duo in Fana Tshabalala and Thulani Chauke. Telling a story through dance and evoking audiences emotions is right up their alley.

Fana Tshabalala is the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Dance and formerAssociate Artistic of the Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative, 2018 Black Excellence Award recipientin Chicago. Fana started his career within the performing Borders Arts Project as a dancer, teacher,choreographer, artistic director, and one of the founders.

Thulani Chauke began his formal training in 2009 at Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) as part of thePerforming Arts Training Course (PATC), and little did he know that he will be selected to be atrainee and later that year he joined the MIDM Professional Dance Company.This all happened afteryears of performing and training with community groups in Soweto.Thulani has recently been seen performing in the internationally acclaimed production, Sybil, by William Kentridge.

Man has no Body distinct from his soul; for that called Body is a portion of a soul discerned by the five senses, the chief inlets of soul in this age.

~ By William Blake

PRODUCTION INFORMATION CREATIVE TEAM

Director:                                           Gerard Bester

Lighting Designer:                          Musawenkosi Sibisi

Set Designer:                                               Maroga Thato

Choreographers and Performers:

Fana Tshabalala

Thulani Chauke

Special thanks to UJ and Geneva Dance Events

Season:                                             Tuesday 17 – Sunday 22 May 2022 

Venue:                                                           John Kani

Performance times:                                   Tuesday – Saturday @19h00 and Sunday @15h00

Ticket prices:                                               Tuesday – Thursday R90

Friday – Saturday R150

Sunday – R130

.To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950 or Bandile Luvalo 078 4344 860