South African Dance And Rhythms In Bradford

The opportunity to experience a new dance piece rarely comes around, let alone one that is rooted so deeply in African traditions. Dada Masilo’s enthralling The Sacrifice was therefore something not to be missed. Brought to the UK for a short 14 date visit as part of a worldwide tour by The Dance Consortium, how privileged we are to have this amazing company visit Bradford.



The Company of The Sacrifice

Based on the ballet The Rite of Spring, The Sacrifice uses the South African company of dancers and musicians to explore the notion that a community would come together in their belief that the death of one of their young women will be for their society’s good. In doing this the original ballet and Stravinsky's score are used as the inspiration for a new and original score full of African rhythms performed live on stage by both musicians and dancers who engage together using the music and dance styles of Botswana (or Tswana) to tell the story. The dancers all studied Tswana dance before collaborating with the musicians to create the performance under the overall control of Dada. The result is a compulsive and vibrant experience with a deeply moving conclusion.

Dada Masilo has always been fascinated by unfamiliar dance forms since beginning her training in South Africa aged 12 at the Dance Factory and going on to study in Brussels, where she first came across the classical ballet The Rite of Spring. Using this as her inspiration Dada focuses on the fusion of classical ballet with contemporary and traditional dance forms of her native Africa.

The Band with traditional instruments
The Sacrifice, explores what ritual sacrifice meant to the Tswana people in the past and what it means now. Creating a story that is in ways deeper than in the original ballet.

The show opens with the choreographer herself dancing slowly and gracefully across the stage, soon to be joined by the company in an exhilarating dance during which they clap and stamp in time to the musicians. The whole piece is rooted in the rich storytelling and healing rituals of Dada’s ancestors with a simple set with a backdrop of bare branched trees, suggestive of the African Savanna adds to effect of transporting the audience to the sunbaked plains of Africa. The culmination of the dance is one of acceptance as the chosen maiden is held in the arms of the mother nature figure, and the community reflect on her sacrifice.

Dada Masilo in the final scene

At chosen venues the company are offering dance workshops, classes for professional dancers and open rehearsals. There are also opening night Q&A sessions in each venue where Dada along with one of the dancers and a musician discuss their inspiration, the creative process, and the origin of some of the ‘traditional’ music and instruments that they use.

Dada is pushing the boundaries with her choreography bringing classical, contemporary, and traditional dance forms together to produce the most moving and enthralling theatre experience and seems to be waiting for us all to catch up with her.