UKZN to host 24th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience

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The 24th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts within UKZN’s College of Humanities takes place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 30 August to 11 September 2022.

This year’s theme is “the (im)possibility of home”, which offers dance and theatre fans a treat of 13 days of world-class contemporary dance and performance from both local and international dance-makers. The artists hail from South Africa, Mozambique, Switzerland, Reunion Island and India.

This edition offers a powerhouse of performances, workshops, after-performance Q&As, panel discussions, virtual screen dances, and the return of the JOMBA! youth dance platform that continues to support the growth of Durban’s young dance communities.

‘We are thrilled and relieved to finally be presenting our much-loved festival live and in-person, while keeping some works and events online to include those not able to attend,’ said JOMBA! Artistic Director and UKZN Dance lecturer, Dr Lliane Loots. ‘This year, through the theme “the (im)possibility of home”, we have set out to interrogate a series of dance offerings that negotiate heritage, culture, nostalgia, and identity, which explore a sense of belonging and how this persists, changes, and transforms through time - and what a time (both local and global) for this moment!’

Mr Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe will be honoured as the 2022 JOMBA! Legacy Artist. ‘This year marks 30 years of Mantsoe’s career as a dancer and choreographer and we can think of no better way to honour this incredible icon in South Africa’s historical dance trajectory than to celebrate with him,’ said Loots. There will be also be a live performance of Mantsoe’s new solo work KOMA.  

South Africa’s doyens of contemporary dance Ms Mamela Nyamza and Ms Nelisiwe Xaba will open this year’s festival in a collaboration with Swiss dance maker Marie-Caroline Hominal in a work titled Hominal/Xaba. 

In partnership with the Goethe-Institute South Africa, JOMBA! will host Mozambican dance-maker Ms Edna Jaime in her remarkable solo Um Segundo (One Second).

Mr Fana Tshabalala, the 2019 JOMBA! Mellon Artist-in-Residence, makes a welcome return with his Broken Borders Arts Project to premiere his latest solo work Zann, which he began creating as part of the 2019 residency. 

Three new works by Durban choreographers/dancers, Mr Sandile Mkhize, Ms Tegan Peacock, and Mr Pavishen Paideya will premiere at the festival. All three received grants for their creation of new local work in the JOMBA! EDGE mentored platform.

The JOMBA! YOUTH OPEN HORIZONS (formerly the Youth Fringe), will feature a host of local dance talent at The Stable Theatre, while the virtual offerings include the JOMBA! AFRICAN DIGITAL VOICES, OPEN HORIZONS and an online panel discussion.

JOMBA! OPEN HORIZONS (formerly the JOMBA! Fringe) continues to support dance-makers working in film. A jury will select six films to showcase from a call for submissions earlier this year, and the top three will be announced after the viewing. 

The festival closes with a virtual conversation between the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts (Bangalore, India) and artist Mr Simon Senn (Switzerland) which looks at the dance work of the Centre and the project between Senn and Bharatha Natyam dancer Ms Rohee Oberoi.  

There are three open workshops (dancers over the age of 16 only) for dancers and dance-makers, and an industry-related session entitled JOMBA! Forging Futures, while the much-valued JOMBA! KHULUMA online writing residency will feature write-ups, interviews and reviews.

Tickets for performances at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre are R80 full price and R65 for students, scholars and pensioners. Booking is through Computicket.

Words: Melissa Mungroo

Photographs: Ivan Barros, David April and Val Adamson