“Ready, set, go,” declared choreographer and dancer Mamela Nyamza to the corps de ballet in Nelisiwe Xaba and her co-production The Last Attitude, a piece that sets out to debunk many of the myths that shroud classical ballet; specifically white, female and elitist traditions.
With that, it felt as if the 2015 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown had been given the green light. The opening day was an almost balmy one, but true to Eastern Cape form, temperatures dropped dramatically as the sun disappeared. Festival audiences were trickling in and expected in larger numbers from today.
Trends are part of the mindset at arts festivals and already specific issues were emerging – even on day one. Performers spoke loudly about issues on the national and international agenda – as did the spectators. As two audience members loudly discussed the recent homophobic row at UCT minutes before the lights went down, the play that followed, Ashes, (directed and written by Philip Rademeyer) painstakingly told the harrowing story of the persecution of a gay man.
Fathers and especially the loss of the male figure in the lives of children is another recurring theme under the spotlight this year. A Man and a Dog, starring Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is one such piece, telling a heartfelt and personal tale. “I think it should be playing schools around the country to show young children they can make it against all odds,” said the actor.
l The National Arts Festival runs until Sunday, July 12. For further information, go to www.nationalartsfestival.co.za and for full coverage from our team on the ground, check out www.tonight.co.za
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