Joburg inner-city children get their moment to shine
MELVILLE - Youngsters tell the story of a young girl in the heart of a big city through narration and dance.
This weekend, talented and hardworking children from the inner-city of Johannesburg will get a moment to shine on stage at the Hillbrow Theatre.
Little Girl LOST, under direction of Alta Krige, is the sixth flagship production from Mould Empower Serve (MES) that involves kids and young people from the NGO’s youth enrichment program. Their ages range from 6 to 21.
It is a modern take on the story of the prodigal son, following the life of a young girl in the heart of the big city. A group of around 60 youngsters tell her story through narration and dance, showcasing more than 20 dances of varying styles, from gumboot, to hip-hop and contemporary.
One of Melville’s very own, 22-year old Anthony Jacobs, is one of the choreographers and dance coaches for the production.
He is a resident at Melville’s Echo House, a community offering vulnerable youth a home in communes across South Africa.
Only last year Jacobs was still part of the ensemble, showing his tricks on stage. This year, however, he contributes from the wings. He says being a choreographer has been really challenging. “Coaching and choreography is really tough on a person, but I am a person that likes to push himself to the max…as I learn, I can teach and as I teach, I can better the performance of our kids and the way everything is done. It’s not easy, but it’s something that I love doing.”
According to Jacobs being part of the MES-program, and especially the musical, gave him the opportunity to focus on the better side of life and made him a better person.
“There’s a lot of love there. It’s very helpful towards kids. It gave me the chance to shine as a dancer, and now it gives me the chance to shine as choreographer.”
He says the show will resonate with everyone.
“The musical changes lives. If you don’t believe me, come watch. Come see for yourself. I promise you, you won’t leave that place the same.”
Performances take place on Friday at 18:30, and Saturday at 14:00.
For more information, contact Japie Krige at japie@mes.org.za.
