PORTABLE Home, a global dance project by Finnish choreographer Virva Talonen, is coming to Durban, South Africa! The project has already been presented in various artistic versions in three countries. For its 4th instalment and first in Africa, Talonen has collaborated with Durban’s Flatfoot Dance Company. Portable Home will be showcased at The Courtyard Theatre in Musgrave for three performances only on November 4 and November 5.
In a bold move to support cultural collaboration and partnership between Finland and South Africa, the Finnish Embassy in Pretoria, with support from Dance Info Finland, offered an open call to South African dancers and dance companies to apply to work with – and host – Finnish choreographer Virva Talonen. The calling process was efficiently facilitated by South African Dance Arts Alliance (SADA). After a slew of applications and interviews, Durban’s Flatfoot Dance Company was finally selected and, according to Flatfoot Dance Company’s Artistic Director Lliane Loots, “It has been a love project from day one!”
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In her artistic dance work, Virva often focuses on the contradiction between the fragility and strength of the human self, and her free-flowing and grounded dance technique is both deeply meditative and deeply mesmerising in its fluid power. Loots said that, “It has been such an enormous pleasure and learning curve hosting and working with Virva these past few weeks. Her quiet dedication and very focused, clear methodology of working have won over the six resident Flatfoot dancers – I am really looking forward to seeing the final outcome of this extraordinary dance exchange!”
Working off improvisation and dance interactions that eventually get structured into some incredible and soulful dance work, Virva’s South African leg of her Portable Home quartet will be on show at The Courtyard Theatre on November 4 at 19:00, and on November 5 at 14:30 and 19:00.
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Bookings are via Clarec1@dut.ac.za and go for R80 – students and scholars @ R50.
Please note that limited tickets are available for November 4 at 19:00.
For more information on Virva Talonen: www.virvatalonen.com
More information on Finnish Dance https://www.danceinfo.fi/en/
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