Savannah Petrus will perform in the Meraki Dance Festival. PICTURE: ANNENE VAN EEDEN
Jazzart Dance Theatre’s inaugural Meraki Dance Festival will take place from Thursday February 27 to Saturday March 1 at the Artscape theatre.
Jazzart has been at the forefront of contemporary dance in South Africa for more than 51 years.
Meraki means, “to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to leave a piece and essence of yourself in your work”.
The Meraki Dance Festival is Jazzart’s signal to all South Africans that they and their dance colleagues are here to stay. The country’s stories will continue to be told through dance, and that this medium is stronger than ever.
“This inaugural festival programme will present diverse dance styles, from contemporary to ballet, and will feature established and emerging choreographers such as Sifiso Kweyama, Sbo Ndaba, Shaun Oelf, MANACAN, Lihle Mfene, Gain Collective, Imbewu, as well as Chloé Blair from Joburg Ballet,” says festival producer, Nwabisa Plaatjie.
“The festival will also include workshops and master classes. We invite dancers to sign-up and join, as this will be a golden opportunity to learn and expand their technique and meet new friends. Naturally, we would also like to encourage audiences to come out and experience the depth of dance talent on offer in the country. They will not be disappointed.”
Each evening will provide a unique performance experience with different programme compositions on offer, while the rehearsal studios will buzz with engaging workshops and master classes for dancers of all levels. Companies participating in the festival include Cape Ballet Africa, Figure of Eight Dance Theatre and the dancers from Baba Yaya who join Jazzart’s trainees on stage.
Tickets for a single performance cost R150 a person and a festival pass costs R300 through Webtickets.
Workshops cost R75 each and dancers will need to register by Monday February 17 by emailing dance@jazzart.co.za