THE University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts presents its 18th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Pieter Scholtz Open Air Theatre and KZNSA Gallery from 24 August to 4 September.
This year’s JOMBA! is an international and national delight for dance and theatre lovers with dancers, dance companies and choreographers making their way to Durban from all corners of the globe for 12 full days of some of the world’s best dance theatre work that promises to provoke, entertain, delight, challenge and leave audiences breathless with the sheer joy of dance in all its various contemporary manifestations. This year’s festival hosts dancers and dance companies from Switzerland, Austria, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Reunion Island, France and South Africa.
Honouring the long term vision of JOMBA! to shine a light on the African continent and to make artistic connection with the rest of Africa, this 2016 festival will premiere a collaboration between three exceptional Southern African female dance-makers who come together to share their vision in dance. These artists share, explore and exchange their realities in order to give voice to various commonalities, challenges and images as they move towards a commentary on current issues facing women in the African context.
New to JOMBA! this year is KZN on the Edge, a curated platform that seeks to support fresh and innovative contemporary dance work coming out of the KZN region.
JOMBA! hosts its Fringe on Tuesday 30 August with 10 new works of 10 to 15 minute each, with the Youth Fringe on Sunday 28 August. The JOMBA! Youth Fringe takes place at the UKZN Open Air Theatre (entrance is free) and is a celebration of over 20 KZN based youth dance groups and the incredible dance work that they are doing.
JOMBA! also offers a full programme of workshops and master classes by all of the participating dancers and choreographers. For a full listing go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za and go to the JOMBA! page. These workshops and classes are offered free of charge (dancers must be 16 years and older) but booking is essential.
For the full programme, go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za
