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Renowned dancer Dada Masilo worked on piece about losing loved ones days before death
At the time of her passing Masilo was working on a new autobiographical solo piece about the loss of loved ones.
The family of renowned dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo has confirmed her passing. Picture: Supplied (Lauge Sorensen)
The family of dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo have confirmed her death on Sunday evening after a brief illness.
“The Masilo family have requested privacy in honour of Dada’s memory, at this tragic time,” read their short statement.
As recent as early December, the 39-year-old Masilo was bestowed with a star on the Soweto Theatre wall alongside other respected South African artists.
“Thank you Soweto Theatre for honouring and acknowledging me. It means so much coming from home,” she averred in her speech on social media.
“It was the award ceremony at Soweto theatre and it was also World AIDS Day and I found myself remembering my Aunt who died of AIDS.
“I normally rehearse everything including speeches, but yesterday I got given a microphone and I thought yes, my Aunt is here!
“That’s the first thing I ever asked for her to buy me and she came through yesterday,” she said reminiscing on her late aunt.
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World-renowned
Despite being just below the age of 40, Masilo’s career spanned more than two decades where she created works that will live beyond her time on earth.
Masilo first came to the attention of the dance industry as an 11-year-old in 1996, when she was invited to dance for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
She was educated at the National School of the Arts in Braamfontein, matriculating in 2002.
In 2003 she went on to train at Jazzart Dance Theatre under the tutelage of Alfred Hinkel in preparation for her training in performance at P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Research and Training Studios) in Brussels, Belgium.
In 2006 she was celebrated as the ‘Most Promising Female Dance in a Contemporary Style’ by the Gauteng Arts and Culture MEC Award judges, and at the age of 22, Masilo received the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance.
In 2016 her Swan Lake piece was nominated for a Bessie Award in New York; a year later, her Giselle won ‘Best Performance’ by the Italian Danza&Danza Award and in 2018 she won the Netherlands’ Prince Claus ‘Next Generation’ Award 2018.
Throughout her illustrious career, she collaborated with other renowned artists from different fields such as William Kentridge, Ann Masina, Albert Silindokuhle Ibokwe Khoza, David April, PJ Sabbagha and renowned choreographer Gregory Maqoma.
Masilo is a recipient of a slew of awards and recognitions including an Italian lifetime achievement award for classic and contemporary dance in September 2024 at the Premio Positano Léonide Massine for the Art of Dance.
At the time of her passing Masilo was working on a new autobiographical solo piece about the loss of loved ones.
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