9 hours ago
5
If you watched Rambert dance company during the 2000s or 2010s, you’ll have seen the brilliant dancer Dane Hurst. And if you were wondering what he’s up to now, in 2022 he returned to his native South Africa to lead first Jazzart Dance Theatre and now Joburg Ballet. Founded in 2001, Joburg Ballet has an eclectic rep ranging across styles, subjects and continents. Case in point, this showcase begins with cheesy grins and pointe-shoe petit allegro and ends duetting with the severed head of John the Baptist.
The cheesy smiles are for Concerto for Charlie, by South African choreographer Veronica Paeper. Made in 1979, it’s named after Revlon’s Charlie perfume (Revlon was the sponsor). The twee neo-classicism looks dated, but I think there’s an element of knowingness going on in the twinkly dancers, who perform well. It grows on you. Hurst’s own piece Resonance feels a little old fashioned too, with its smooth, easy-on-the-eye, jazzy ballet, nice frocks and saxophone soundtrack, but then it shifts into something more unsettling, tilting between between racial antagonism and the harmony of dancing together; an interesting conjunction of prettiness and ugliness in consideration of South Africa’s history.
The mixed bill also features a decent contemporary piece set to Spanish guitar by choreographer Jorge Pérez Martínez (dancer Monike Cristina is a stand-out) and a very interesting vignette from dancer Tumelo Lakana, a ritual prayer to his ancestors that honours and transcends tradition as he dances South African steps in pointe shoes.
The best piece is Salomé, by Dada Masilo, who sadly died in 2024 aged 39. Salomé was one of Masilo’s final works, made for this company, and the urgent energy of the dancers feels like what we’ve been waiting for – it’s as if you can see a mad itch flying through the body of Revil Yon’s John the Baptist. This is a story of seduction and power, and especially being seduced by your own power. Latoya Mokoena’s sensuously commanding Salomé is absolutely believable, and the dramatic beats are spot-on – when they bring out that silver platter it’s like Chekhov’s gun exploding. The ending, when Salomé suddenly sobers up and sees reality, feels genuinely tragic. The real tragedy is that there won’t be any more work from Masilo, but it will be fascinating to see where Hurst leads this company in the future.
