Blackness and Floods – Choreographies of Survival in SPANISH FOCUS @JOMBA!
The JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience presented by University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts which takes place in Durban from 26 August to 7 Septembers is partnering with the Embassy of Spain (South Africa) to showcase two unique contemporary Spanish dance offerings that celebrate the cultural connection between Spain and South/Africa: one an important work around Blackness, and the other a shared lived experience of the devastation of floods in Valencia, Spain and Durban, SA. These are part of the bigger festival programme on offer.
The much-anticipated award-wining solo Black from Spanish and Ivory Coast dance-maker, and founder and curator of the festival Oyofe dedicated to street dances. Black, directed and performed by Oulouy, produced and distributed by Africa Moment, is a reflection on the violence and emancipation of Blackness in today’s world. Oulouy hints at recent history such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the murder of George Floyd to rethink the Black African body in the Western world. Black is a dance narrated through street dance styles of the African continent and its diaspora in the Spain, such as Coupé-Décalé, Ndomboló, Afrohouse or Krump.
The fruition of a longer 2025 partnership between JOMBA! and Valencia based Taiat Dance Company. In an extraorindary collaboration with Durban dancer Zinhle Nzama, and Valencia dancer Lara Misó, choreographers Meritxell Barberá and Inma García, have created a solo/duet around the shared experience of two cities (Durban and Valencia) surviving floods. Titled FLOOD, this solo/duet dance work, born of the coincidence of these shared climate tragedies, adopts a poetic documentary style to explore the experiences of two dancers who suffered these catastrophes in their respective cities. FLOOD offers a choreographic approach that seeks to raise awareness of the urgency of acting on climate change and its devastating consequences.
Curator of JOMBA! Llaine Loots contextualizes this important work: “In April 2022, an unprecedented storm hit the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In less than 24 hours, around 400 litres per square meters of rain fell, a torrent unleashed by a subtropical cyclone that emerged a short distance from the coast. Durban and its surroundings became the epicenter of a catastrophe that left an indelible mark: 448 lives lost, 43 people missing and some 40,000 people left homeless.”
“These floods, together with the DANA storm that recently hit Valencia in Spain, gave impetus to this dance work that adopts a poetic documentary style to explore the experiences of two dancers who suffered these catastrophes in their cities.”
Flood becomes a tribute to the victims, a cry against bitterness and a wake-up call to the world. A choreographic approach that seeks to raise awareness of the urgency of acting on climate change and its devastating consequences.
“We believe JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience is the best place to showcase these wonderful artistic pieces that are able to both celebrate diversity between Spain and South Africa, and also raise awareness on our common issues and experiences,” says Elena Moreno González-Páramo, Counsellor Embassy of Spain to South Africa. “We are thrilled to have this collaboration in place, for the short (and hopefully long) term.”
Both works will feature on Friday 29 August and Saturday 30 august at 7pm at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. After the Saturday performance Curator Lliane Loots hosts a JOMBA! TALKS DANCE with Oulouy and Barbara Diaz Rios, dance teacher and choreographic assistant for Taiat Dansa on stage.
Barbara Diaz Rios, will conduct a technique class and share some of the repertoire of FLOOD on 28 August from 4 to 5.30pm and Oulouy presents a workshop that is a deep dive into the expressive power of movement as language, identity, and connection where participants can step into a high-energy journey across some of the most vibrant street dance styles from the African continent and its diaspora. (30 August 10-11:30am).
Venue for workshops is the Dance Studio at Drama and Performance Studies (UKZN – Howard College Campus) These workshops are offered free of charge to participants, but booking is essential as places are limited. The workshops are only open to dancers 16 years and older. Email Thobile Maphanga on 2024jomba@gmail.com to book a place at least 2 days in advance of the workshop.
For more information and to see the full programme, go to: https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/
Tickets are R85 and R65 (concessions and groups) or R390 – one off FULL festival pass to see everything. Booking via WebTickets.