Introducing talent to the creative economy

As part of its social missions, Vuyani Dance Theatre works within communities to develop dance talent, both at a school level and by training post-matric youth through its sought-after year-long inhouse dance training programme.

Vuyani Dance Theatre’s (VDT) training programme provides intense training in dance movement and choreography skills and is a platform for VDT to plough back resources into the exposure of latent young talent. The training programme explores the synergies between the mind, body and artist over eleven months annually, challenging the preconceived notions that trainees might have through a breakdown of body mechanics, intense technical study and rigorous conditioning exercises. By the end of the year, trainees shed old habits and ideas that no longer serve them in order to create space for their true voice and expression as artists.

The class of 2018 was part of an accelerated growth plan and the majority of the class was cast in a full-company touring production choreographed and directed by Gregory Maqoma – Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero. This cast was part of the performance at the 2018 Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, Romania, as well as the South African tour to Artscape Theatre and the Vrystaat Kunstefees, and will continue to tour to other international festivals scheduled for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

With the year coming to an end, we caught up with trainees and asked them about their experience as a part of the VDT training programme.

Lungile Mahlangu says, ‘The VDT training programme has not just taught me about movement but has laid a foundation for my career as an emerging dance professional. I have learnt how to conduct myself as an artist, how to work with others, and how to work through an intense performance schedule. Before joining Vuyani, I was always in awe of the company’s cocktail aesthetic and I instinctively knew that this is where I need to align myself as a young dancer. Today I am living that dance cocktail. As part of our performance assessment, I created a solo, Thou Art, which allowed me to tell a story of how we communicate through arts, heal through arts and subsequently live and breathe art. The one thing I can share about VDT’s training programme is that you learn to be an independent artist while in a nurtured team environment.’

Thabang Mojapelo also contributed to the conversation, commenting: ‘The training programme has allowed me to meet myself as an artist from another viewpoint. It has challenged me emotionally, physically and spiritually and I have found strength and resilience to face the constructive feedback that we receive throughout the year. Right at the beginning of the training programme, I was a part of Gregory Maqoma’s work Mayhem, which was staged at Dance Umbrella. During this process, my dance vocabulary immediately began to broaden and I was fortunate enough to be part of very different company performances.’

‘Today, I can proudly pat myself on the back and call myself a dancer, not just a street dancer as I was before I joined VDT. When the training programme started, I struggled with all of the dance moves. Compared to the dancer I was before the training, there has been a huge shift in how I execute and interpret movement. I only used to use my leg and both crutches to dance, now I can either use both crutches, one or none. The understanding of where the movement came from and how to be clear in what I am doing has been a challenge for me but I have since learnt these skills and how to present myself as an artist. I have also learnt the fundamentals of telling stories through movement and how to tap into my emotions to help carry the storytelling. Some of my highlights during the training programme have been performing in Mayhem on the opening night of Dance Umbrella, performing at the Living Legends tribute at Market Theatre and performing a duet at the launch of Adrienne Sichel’s book, Body Politics: Fingerprinting South African Contemporary Dance,’ shares Musa Motha.

VDT will be auditioning for new talent to join the company’s training programme in January – an opportunity for young dancers to start their journey towards contributing to the multilayered creative economy. Prospective trainees can look forward to developing their artistry by melding the technical aspects of dancing with their individuality. This is conducted through the exploration of improvisational methods along with acquired physical techniques. At the end of each year, dancers develop a distinct voice and unique aesthetic rooted in Vuyani’s movement vocabulary that will make them a valuable asset to any professional setting.