Until July 11, the public spaces of Durban will experience an edgy combination of contemporary performance, dance and traditional images through Cityscapes Re-routed which is a public art series.
Choreographed by Jay Pather and the Siwela Sonke Dance Company, Cityscapes provides pathways, links and bridges, and points of intersection, meeting and departure.
Tonight caught up with Pather who also directed the concept of the art series.
Explaining the concept, he says: “It’s about engaging with familiar spaces such as those in Durban’s CBD or the promenade on Durban’s beachfront and layering them with a fresh, often unexpected perspective through public performances. It’s an opportunity for passersby to engage with art that might be unfamiliar to them, but also to engage in a moment of community with strangers as they share in the spectacle.
“Siwela Sonke has always been about bringing together the rich tradition of KwaZulu-Natal and merging this with contemporary dance. This is not artificial; it is who we are – a combination of our heritages and our global present. We also realised that this form speaks to audiences because they can relate, hence it was a natural evolution into a public art series. Not only taking art to where people are, but in a way that they can relate to.”
On the choreography featured in Cityscapes Re-routed, Pather says it’s a combination of re-staged works as well as works that are specially created for sites.
There will be a few more productions taking place as part of the art series on Saturday and July 11. A prevailing theme is this notion of the intimate made public: “The series has 13 works in total, they are all important for different reasons, but what is true for all the works is that they will allow moments of reflection for the audience. A lot of the works tell very personal stories and explore intimate moments; moments of crises alone and shared, moments of truth and also elation. There are opportunities for each of us to be still; share a moment with a stranger in a public space and walk away having been moved in some way,” he reveals.
According to the choreographer, audiences can expect to be surprised: “Durban has the imprint of so many cultures and histories. It is also one of the biggest kept secrets. The spaces are actually extremely evocative as a result because they are so different. We have much to be thankful for. All we need to do now is make the streets safe in the evenings so we can do this kind of work outside at night so that the people of Durban can truly own the city. Now that will be pure magic.”
• Cityscapes Re-routed ends July 11. On Saturday, there will be a demonstration at the Workshop Shopping Centre, above Pick n Pay and City Hall. On July 11, there will be a show at Old Pump House, North Beach. See www.siwelasonke.com.