Robyn Orlin & Moving Into Dance Mophatong

we wear our wheels with pride and slap your streets with color … we said «bonjour» to satan in 1820 …

Johannesburg

For children and families

A powerful show and at the same time a moving tribute to resistance. The latest stage creation by legendary choreographer Robyn Orlin together with the dance company Moving Into Dance Mophatong is based on memories from the apartheid era. The use of rickshaws that characterised the streets as a means of transport at that time were a colonial practice that forced men from the Zulu ethnic group to dress in their traditional robes and work as human load carriers. The Zulu drivers turned this humiliation into a proud act of self-empowerment: they transformed the rickshaws and robes into a firework of colours, reclaiming their individuality, which the apartheid regime tried to deny them.

Robyn Orlin, who grew up as a white person in Johannesburg, has created several productions with Moving Into Dance Mophatong. The group was founded during apartheid as one of South Africa’s few mixed-race dance companies. In this piece, the dancers embody the resistance of that time through appropriation, irony and self-determination. They are accompanied by the imposing soundscape of the music duo uKhoiKhoi. By live looping video, featuring South African opera and traditional chants, the duo creates a unique Afro-futurist sound. (ab)

Simple words

This show is about memories from the time of apartheid in South Africa.

Apartheid was a political system in which black people did not have the same rights as white people.

In the play, the artist Robyn Orlin tells how people were able to keep their pride despite how they were treated.

There is a lot of movement, music and videos on stage.

Artistic direction and cast


Konzept, Choreografie	Robyn Orlin
Mit	Moving Into Dance Mophatong (Sunnyboy Motau, Oscar Buthelezi, Eugene Mashiane, Lesego Dihemo, Sbusiso Gumede, Teboho Letele)
Live-Musik, Komposition	uKhoiKhoi / Yogin Sullaphen, Anelisa Stuurman
Video	Eric Perroys
Kostümdesign	Birgit Neppl
Lichtdesign	Romain de Lagarde
Management	Jean-Marc L’Hostis
Tourmanagement	Thabo Pule
Inspizienz	Jordan Azincot
Booking	Damien Valette
Koordination	Louise Bailly
Foto	Jeìrôme Seìron

Production


Produktion	City Theater & Dance Group, MIDM – Moving Into Dance Mophatong, Damien Valette Prod.
Koproduktion	Festival Montpellier Danse, Tanz im August – 32. Internationales Festival Berlin, Chaillot – Théâtre National de la Danse, Le Grand T – Théâtre de Loire-Atlantique, Charleroi Danse – Centre chorégraphique de Wallonie – Bruxelles, Theìâtre Garonne – Scène européenne, Château- Rouge – scène conventionnée d’Annemasse
Unterstützung	DRAC Ile-de-France
Premiere	Juni 2021, Chaillot – Théâtre National de la Danse (Paris)

Werft

Site map

Dance, Music, Commemoration

Swiss Premiere

Duration

1:15 hrs.

Language

Englisch, Zulu, Sotho and various South African languages; no language skills required

Age

10 years plus

An inclusive event

Sound inductively amplified

HORAKEL introduction

Performative introduction with players from the ensemble of Theater HORA on Fri 25.8., 18:30 hrs, and Sun 27.8., 18:30 hrs, at Zentral

Kids in Dance

Dance workshops for young people aged between 14 and 20 led by company dancers from «we wear our wheels with pride […]» on Sat 26.8., further information

Stammtisch

Sat 26.8., 21.00 hrs, further information

Thanks

The performances at the Zürcher Theater Spektakel are supported by the Gönner*innenverein

Dates

Fr 25.08. 19:30 - 20:45 CHF 49.–/29.–/19.–
Sa 26.08. 19:30 - 20:45 CHF 49.–/29.–/19.–
Su 27.08. 19:30 - 20:45 CHF 49.–/29.–/19.–

Schedule