Cape Town - Choreographer/dancer/teacher Tercia Amsterdam has proved that dreams can come true with a combination of vision and perseverance: on graduating from the UCT School of Dance some 14 years ago, she aspired to have her own dance company, and despite manifold challenges along the way, March 2019 brings her maiden production to Artscape Theatre, performed by the company she founded, namely Dance Theatre Africa.
“I knew from the age of 5 that I was meant to dance,” she recalled. “But it was only in Grade 12 that I decided to make a career of it, so I did a Dance Teachers’ Diploma at UCT. After that, I freelanced with artists like Adele Blank and Christopher Kindo, and joined the Vuyani Dance Theatre; I taught for WCED as a specialist in contemporary dance style (my major at UCT) until 2014; and in 2011 I founded Dance Theatre Africa.
"While teaching in primary schools I had my first experience of producing dance, and choreographed two works – Annie with a Twist and Frozen – and I was fortunate to have a good numerical mix of dancers, 40% boys and 60% girls, which is quite unusual. Also, my time at schools was a good learning curve for administration, which is essential in a dance company. The greatest challenge is always funding…”
Amsterdam’s generosity of spirit has led her to initiate outreach work in underprivileged communities, and from a modest start teaching free of charge after hours at one school, she now has three teachers to assist in this project with five schools participating and another on the cards, all based in the northern suburbs.
As for her début production at Artscape, it was inspired by a video the choreographer saw 3 years ago, in which the relationship between colour and sound was investigated. She thought then of the symbiosis between sound and movement, and the interconnectivity of everything; thus the theme of Blue Violin came into being.
“I managed to secure funding from the National Arts Council, which made it all possible,” she explained. “I commissioned the music from a Johannesburg-based composer, Bogdan Pashovski, sending him the video clip that inspired me. His work is recorded and will be played off-stage. There is also the inclusion of poetry by Melissa Titus, one poem for each colour to give food for thought. Some of the poems are to music, others recited in silence.
"The style of choreography is contemporary, a fusion of elements ranging from classical to pantsula. I’ve added riel dance as well, to give the work a uniquely South African character. The dancers wear white, so colour comes from the lighting; each has a solo, but there are also trios, duets and ensembles to add variety and interest. Best of all is having Adele Blank to direct: my mentor and a contemporary dance legend.”
Amsterdam hopes that after attending this show, “the audience will see colour differently, realising its subconscious value, and have a heightened awareness of the environment to which modern man is increasingly blind.”
Blue Violin is at Artscape Theatre from March 28-30. Booking through Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat.