DURBAN’s renowned Flatfoot Dance Company will stage the annual Dance Some More showcase this weekend, affording dancers involved in their development projects the opportunity to perform in a professional setting.
For the past nine years the company has been involved in training approximately 1 000 young people from across KwaZulu-Natal in dance each year.
The young dancers come from Umlazi, KwaMashu, Cleremont and Kenneth Garden’s in central Durban, as well as from Open Air School.
Flatfoot’s artistic director, Lliane Loots, said despite funding for the development initiative being scarce, they are determined to continue seeing the programme through.
“When you do this kind of work, funding is vital, but the more important element is that you make a commitment to the communities you work with.
“If we relied solely on funding we wouldn’t be able to continue.
“But fortunately we do have some corporate sponsors like NCP Alcohol and Sibaya Casino who fund our transport… If we make a commitment to these communities we cannot just abandon them.”
Saturday’s showcase at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre will also include a special performance from LeftFeetFIRST!, Flatfoot’s “mixed ability/integrated dance programme” which is run with the Open Air School.
“We’ve been working with these kids who have a range of disabilities. They are beautiful dancers and that they have disabilities does not define them…
It is a learning journey for us as it challenges us to think out of the box about this idea of the ‘beautiful body’. We’ve worked with some of these kids for the past four years now,” said Loots.
The programme will also include a new work created by Loots, Knocking on Heaven’s Door.
“We also have an adult training company where we work in the evenings with students who want to hone their dancing skills.
“This year we have a group of about 24 people.
“The idea is to offer them intense training and training skills. Knocking on Heaven’s Door is a collaborative work. I’ve worked with them and they’ve brought in their own elements.”
The 25-minute work uses a selection of Bob Dylan’s music and has been described by the producers as “a lyrical and sometimes witty encounter with the activism and messages of a music icon”.
“We’ve taken some of his love ballads and more activist songs and created the piece which is about journeying through life,” she said.
• You can catch Dance Some More 2012 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on Saturday at 2pm. A donation of R20 towards the ticket cost will be charged at the door. All funds received are used to continue to support this vital Kwa-Zulu-Natal arts development work.