The name “Mamela” means “to listen” and, for over two decades, dancer-choreographer Mamela Nyamza has been listening - to the voices of her family, community, dance world - more importantly urging us, the audience, to listen carefully to the images, narratives and ideas she is presenting to us - how we have been shaped by our collective past of constitutional and social racism.
Her latest work, Rock to the Core, premières at the Cape Town Fringe, which is on from September 21 to October 8. Rock to the Core is on at Zolani Centre (6pm on September 21; 7pm on September 22) and at Theatre Arts Admin (6pm on September 22 and 23).
Rock to the Core features Nyamza, Chuma Sopotela, Indalo Stofile, Buhlebezwe Siwani and Zikhona Jacobs and “aims to shock, shake and shove all there is to the status quo of arts in South Africa, just like rock music that changed the world”.
This piece will show that “black women artists are fed up with the notion that they must protest for people’s pedestal and approval,” said Nyamza.
The genesis goes back to a protest that Nyamza headed this year, outside Artscape, at the Fleur du Cap Theatre awards - highlighting the under- representation of black artists - and black women/women in particular - in the arts.
“It must be emphasised that the protest had nothing to do with us wanting to get awards for ourselves but had everything to do with equal acknowledgement and access to mainstream theatres, and awards for all black artists, whether as a performer or director,” she stressed.
“We were totally shocked by the mean, rude and, indeed, very sexist and patriarchal comments we received, especially from our male counterparts. For instance, we were called ‘those four women’ and not by our names! Also we were rebuked for the clothes we wore at the protest, some alleging that we were porn dancers.
Therefore the aspect of being ‘disabled’ to reach our potential as artists has nothing to do with physical disability and has everything to do with access. Hence you will see some movements of the work, and how they came about.”
The Gugulethu-born and raised artist started dancing when she was eight at the Zama dance school. She is 40 (turns 41 on September 22) and was born in 1976 - slap bang after the eruption of the Soweto Uprisings.
Hers was not the Born Free generation but the 1976 newborns. In 2014 - she premièred 19 born 76 rebels - referencing her generation - who “were products of the period of violence, resistance, rebellion, protest and political and physical activism”.
As a young dancer, she won a scholarship to attend the Alvin Ailey Academy in New York. Extensive success followed for her in musicals (such as The Lion King, African Footprint, We Will Rock You).
She danced with Pact, Free Flight and other companies, and worked with choreographers. She then decided to follow a different path and generate her own work.
“I have been criticised for being a non-dancing conceptual dancer. But I refuse to be boxed in my artwork, that is probably why I decided to quit doing the musicals and start to create.
"Difference should not be scorned as that is tantamount to being an art fascist, where people deem fit to label or categorise artists So my work will always be fluid, crossing over genres because I am an artist.”
Being out of SA, provided her with the perspective of distance to make artistic choices: “The experience I got from Alvin Ailey was invaluable. Remember, then it was very rare to find a black South African ballerina that you could aspire to or relate to.
"But at Alvin Ailey, I got to see a lot of very good black ballet dancers comfortable in their naturally athletic bodies. Mine was declassified as ‘inappropriate’ for ballet by my former South African ballet teachers, at the then Pretoria Technikon.
"The experience I got from doing musicals prompted me to want to create my own work.”
This multi-award winning artist is feted internationally and is constantly touring- performing, creating new work.
This year, there were gigs in Holland, Germany, Italy - the list goes on. And yet in her own country, it is a struggle for her to get her work produced on major platforms.
“I guess I am the Miriam Makeba of the dance, I will die on stage in a foreign land because I still get denied in some festivals - either no response or decline.”
Her extensive body of work is embedded with the personal/ political - ripping into the colonial white agenda of ballet, laying bare so-called “corrective rape”, narrating her own story on stage - as mother (she is a mother of two), activist, daughter.
What is on the cards for 2018? “I am off to New York and Chicago to perform Hatched - celebrating 10 years of this work. Then it’s Belgium for #deaparthate.”
Back on home territory, there is Rock to the Core at the Cape Town Fringe and tomorrow night (September 16) she is doing an extract of 19born 76rebels at the opening of The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa at the V&A Waterfront.
Cape Town Fringe tickets are R40 to R100. Tickets are R50 for Rock to the Core.
Book at www.capetownfringe.co.za, use the Cape Town Fringe app, call 086 000 2004 or book at the Fringe Club at The German Club (6 Roodehek Terrace, Gardens) - cash or credit card.
Tickets available at the door of the venues up until 30 minutes before show.