An 1860s Xhosa traditional dance piece was brought to life yesterday at the Guild Theatre by Zanempucuku High School.
The production by Makwedini Film Productions saw more than 60 pupils from the school dancing and singing songs from 1865.
The dance, titled The Battle of the Sexes, tells the story of village boys and girls who settle their differences through music and dance.
Filmmaker Aubrey Silinyana said his interest in the history of the Xhosa people led him to research to bring the production to life.
“Young people are not in touch with cultural issues. If you try to show them some of the things that happened a long time ago through dance, you can capture their attention,” he said.
With the assistance of Nandipha Mlonyeni from the East London Museum, Silinyana and his team were able to put together the dance.
“We wanted to know what the people were wearing during those times and we had to dye some of the material to give it that look,” he said.
Silinyana said the outfits were made by the pupils from the Berlin school, and made specially for the event.
“We have empowered some people in this production. This project was very fulfilling to those who contributed to the making of the clothes and props,” he said.
Choreographer Sibusiso Kepu, who has worked with the group for months now, said he was excited to see all the hard work come to life.
Kepu said: “We started working in May this year and we worked throughout the June and September holidays.”
He said the production was not only about teaching the pupils about dance and music, they were also learning about their culture.
“We are trying to bring back the spirit of ubuntu and teach these kids to be proud of who they are.”
He said commitment had helped them pull off the one-day show.
“It was challenging to work with such a large group of children but they were committed to this.”
Kepu was involved in the Eastern Cape Indigenous Group that went to Greece about 10 years ago. He said he was passionate about his culture and wanted to impart some of the things he had learnt over the years.
Silinyana and his team shot a DVD of the show at the Guild Theatre.
They will be shooting more scenes at a chosen location later this year, and will also distribute it to the SABC television channels. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
VIDEO: School dance show cultural coup
The production by Makwedini Film Productions saw more than 60 pupils from the school dancing and singing songs from 1865.
The dance, titled The Battle of the Sexes, tells the story of village boys and girls who settle their differences through music and dance.
Filmmaker Aubrey Silinyana said his interest in the history of the Xhosa people led him to research to bring the production to life.
“Young people are not in touch with cultural issues. If you try to show them some of the things that happened a long time ago through dance, you can capture their attention,” he said.
With the assistance of Nandipha Mlonyeni from the East London Museum, Silinyana and his team were able to put together the dance.
“We wanted to know what the people were wearing during those times and we had to dye some of the material to give it that look,” he said.
Silinyana said the outfits were made by the pupils from the Berlin school, and made specially for the event.
“We have empowered some people in this production. This project was very fulfilling to those who contributed to the making of the clothes and props,” he said.
Choreographer Sibusiso Kepu, who has worked with the group for months now, said he was excited to see all the hard work come to life.
Kepu said: “We started working in May this year and we worked throughout the June and September holidays.”
He said the production was not only about teaching the pupils about dance and music, they were also learning about their culture.
“We are trying to bring back the spirit of ubuntu and teach these kids to be proud of who they are.”
He said commitment had helped them pull off the one-day show.
“It was challenging to work with such a large group of children but they were committed to this.”
Kepu was involved in the Eastern Cape Indigenous Group that went to Greece about 10 years ago. He said he was passionate about his culture and wanted to impart some of the things he had learnt over the years.
Silinyana and his team shot a DVD of the show at the Guild Theatre.
They will be shooting more scenes at a chosen location later this year, and will also distribute it to the SABC television channels. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
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