A peep at new contemporary dance
JOHANNESBURG – PeepDance is a new, quirky contemporary dance performance that is challenging the freedom of expression by exploring different perspectives and ways of expression.
Set to take place at the ArchitectureZA 2015 festival, the theme for this year’s PeepDance is The body is the last space for freedom. What makes this type of contemporary dance different is how it is displayed. Three to five dance pieces are performed inside what are called ‘peep cells’, and all are performed at the same time.
“The audience walks around these cells and peeps through the holes to experience contemporary dance [though] a whole new lens,” explained Talia Freed, art director and designer at Nimrod Freed/Tami Dance Company.
PeepDance has collaborated with the festival before. Freed revealed, “We love coming to Africa – the energy of the earth, the energy of the people. The most exciting thing for us is to collaborate with the unique Johannesburg professional dancers, and to rehearse and to perform with them together with our Tami Dance dancers as an international collaboration – Tel Aviv-Johannesburg.”
So why the peeping? Freed explained that PeepDance created a new relationship between the audience and a public space dance performer. “PeepDance is exploring the connection between intimacy and daily life, and between observation and voyeurism. It redefines points of view from which the spectator views the piece and its location in the street.
“The streets, the parks, public spaces and private spaces are constantly being filmed. News on TV and reality shows brings voyeurism into our homes. Social networks can reveal almost anything about us.”
Daniel van der Merwe, president of the Gauteng Institute for Architects said, “Private and public spaces are changing and it is how we look at these transformations that create our realities.”
The festival allows for architects and designers to meet, debate and share ideas. It is also open to the public as there will be fantastic tours, master classes and workshops, as well as a number of public events such as PeepDance and a number of films on show.
The festival will take place from 24 to 26 September at The Sheds, 1 Fox Street.
Details: www.architectureza.org
