05 / ikapa dance company:
News from iKapa Dance Company
The soccer fever has finally died down and the vuvuzelas are safely packed away, but iKapa Dance Theatre has not put their dancing to rest. The company has recently participated in many exciting events in and around Cape Town and, most excitingly, were given the opportunity to visit New York City. The executive director, Theo Ndindwa, and two founding members, Mbulelo Ngubombini and Zandile Constable, visited the Big Apple for three weeks to rehearse and perform a collaborative production with Steps Ensemble.
© iKapa Dance Company
Gaining momentum from the fabulous past performances at both the Baxter Dance Festival and the Foschini Group Launch Event, iKapa Dance Theatre is now coming upon a brand new season. They are excited to premier their new collaborative work, Fuse, at the Oude Libertas Theatre in Stellenbosch on the 16th and 17th of December, 2010.
Recently, iKapa company member, Zandile, showcased her work as a dancer, teacher and choreographer at the On Broardway Theatre. The performance was a huge success and her company creation was performed three days later as part of the Creative Cape Town Performance.
Many exciting changes are taking place for iKapa Dance. The office and studio space have moved from the The New Space Theatre to the JL Zwane Centre in Guguletu. The move was strategic as it allows the dancers to be closer to the communities in which they teach.
The Outreach
iKapa Dance Theatre’s Training and Outreach is continually expanding! The company’s dancers have adopted individual centres in several different communities and are passionately spreading their knowledge of dance with the children every afternoon. Not only does this enable them to assist with the development of the up and coming dancers, it also allows them to serve as role models for their students. Two of iKapa’s dancers are returning to teach in the communities where they were raised, thus making the experience all the more relatable and inspiring for the young dancers. Mbulelo teaches at the Abigail centre in Khayelitsha and Zandile works with the children in Gugulethu.
Several groups of students from the iKapa Dance Theatre Outreach and Training were recently given the chance to perform in honor of South Africa’s Heritage Day. This production took place at the Iziko Museum on the 24th of September. It was a true celebration of the rich, vibrant culture of the Western Cape. iKapa’s continual quest to develop an awareness of dance in South Africa was highlighted. iKapa Dance invited, La Rosa Spanish Dance, and Vulindlela Arts Project to join them on this Heritage Day performance and it was greatly appreciated by an enthusiastic audience.
This month, two guest instructors have joined iKapa to assist with teaching at the outreach centres. Leah Webber is from the United States and holds a degree in dance from Chapman University in California. From the UK, Mitzi Arshamian who graduated from the Royal Ballet School in 2008 and is now a current student at the Central School of Ballet. They are both passionate about iKapa’s work and are enjoying sharing their passion and skill for dance with ikapa’s young students.
Upcoming Dates
9 November: Cilna Marais Showcase @ On Broadway, 44 Long Street, 8pm
15 & 21 November: Triple Face, Showcase of Mbulelo, Zandile and Cilna @ On Broadway, 44 Long Street, 8pm
16 & 17 December: FUSE, a new iKapa Dance Creation in collaboration with Steps Ensemble from New York @ Oude Libertas
For further information on any of the above please contact the 073 937 7558 or info@ikapadancetheatre.co.za
Kapa Dance Theatre, JL Zwane Centre, NY-2, Gugulethu, Western Cape
05 / joe recrosio:
JOE RECROSIO PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS:
DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER – THE MUSIC OF THE BEE GEES
APPEARING AT THE THREE ARTS IN PLUMSTEAD
Starting 25 Nov - 19 Dec with a week off starting again 29 - 31 Dec plus Sunday matinees.
There will be a special New Year’s Eve performance. Bring your own picnic basket and enjoy the music in a relaxed and friendly environment.
© Joe Recrosio
WHO IS JOE RECROSIO? ‘Musician, musical director, guitarist, session musician, put togetherer of shows.’ Music is his passion, his life. These were his words when I posed the question – ‘Who is Joe Recrosio?’
Quiet and unassuming with a quirky sense of humour, completely self effacing in order to allow the music to shine through, that is what Joe is all about, allowing the music to be heard and to be acknowledged. Unlike many bands with strange names Joe’s band is a band with no name. He uses different musicians depending on their suitability and availability as each new production is started. He repeats his theme that his shows are not about the musicians and personal egos but about the music.
WHAT DO YOU DO? ‘I’ve played guitar, different styles for 100’s and 100’s of studio and session work.’
He also plays pedal steel guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo, electric and acoustic guitars, dobro, electric slide and string bender guitars, baritone guitars, classic and Hawaiian guitars and even the seldom-seen electric sitar. His range of styles is equally impressive; everything from rock and pop, jazz, country and reggae through to Afrikaans traditional music, Latin, Cajun and zadeco.
Joe is not a chatty chap, a man of few words and a singular thought process – let the music be, what it is all about.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT PUTTING A SHOW TOGETHER? As the Musical director of each show his job starts by researching the artist or band, their life story. He needs to get to know them from the inside out, so that he can truly reflect the full glory of their music.
The research he undertakes is to gain insight into the background of the people who wrote the music and to reproduce the way it was written and not to recreate or rewrite fine music.
Then he will start to score the music, select musicians for performance and start the rehearsals with everyone involved. At that stage he starts writing the script.
He does not like calling his productions `tributes’ as it is not to the people he pays homage but to the music and your memories of how you remember that music.
© Joe Recrosio
WHERE DO YOU DO IT, AND WITH WHOM? From 2002 they have performed 5 SHOWS AT The Roxy Revue Bar - The Eagle’s, The Bee Gees, The Beatles, Billy Joel and Celine Dion.
Some of the band members for these shows have been Gordon Mackay, Candice Malander Thorne, Denzil Thorne, Clive Fester, Safwaan Goodenough, Reg Edwards, Nadia Mackenzie, Wayne Smith.
WHY DO YOU DO IT? He thinks of his productions as sharing a gift with the audience and that gift is the music he would like everyone to enjoy with him. He does not do a show if he does not like the music. Rather like giving people presents you would like but are generous enough to give to others.
`When you truly do it right it is honouring the music. We don’t mess with the music. You will hear your musical memories come alive.
I need to like the music in order to truly reflect the quality of the music. This makes me feel good.
Some of the Bee Gees songs in the current show have been performed by the following artists, Destiny’s Child, Michael Buble, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (Islands in the Stream - the biggest selling country hit of all time) Dionne Warwick and Barbra Streisand.
Booking Computicket and 3 Arts Tickets R120
05 / girl with the enamel eyes:
Dance Crew in association with the Amy Gould Ballet School
presents:
THE GIRL WITH ENAMEL EYES
An original work in 2 acts suitable for all ages.
Theatre on-on-Main, Tokai
19 November to 4th December including Sunday matinees@ 3.00pm and Evening shows @ 8.00pm
Tickets throughout - R60
CHOREOGRAPHY - AMY GOULD
MUSIC - GORDON MACKAY
COSTUMES - VERONICA RICHARDS and OGGI DANCE & SPORTS WEAR
SETS - GORDON MACKAY
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and a lot quicker and easier on the eye. The thousand words about the story are in the previous issue of ImagineMag! - Sept/Oct Edition 6.
Photography by Ewart Mouton www.morethanphotography.co.za / info@morethanphotography.co.za
DVDs of this production will be on sale for R110 at the theatre at all performances and on request: info@theatreonmain.co.za
