Themba Mbuli: The dancing storyteller
In praise of the women in his life who raised him to be the man he is, Themba Mbuli talks about Autho(r)ise - The Rise of the Author, the piece that he was commissioned to create for the 2017 Baxter Dance Festival.
For his work, commissioned by the Baxter for its Dance Festival, which opened yesterday and runs until October 14, Themba Mbuli is presenting Autho(r)ise – The Rise of the Author.
In his piece, the award-winning choreographer, dancer and teacher pays homage to his grandmother and to the female-driven household that he grew up in, in Soweto.
It was the women in his life who were there for him, said Mbuli, 30. Besides his grandfather, everyone in the household was female.
He was young when his mom died in a car accident and he went to live with his grandmother. His father was essentially absent for most of his life. In his grandmother’s house, he never went without food or clothes - and love. This is reflected in Autho(r)ise.
“The concept of the work revolves around stacks of old books that get transformed on stage as part of a journey. Props, design and dance partners are used as metaphors, obstruction and aid to the dancers.
"The stage is a blank page and the dancers are the authors rewriting their own future through dance,” he said.
“The books are emblematic of the knowledge that his grandmother imparted to her grandson and her ability to multi-task - literally carry and balance the components of her life.”
Dance was not on Mbuli’s career radar. As a young person, he channelled his anger - over an absent father - and all the challenges of his youth through physical activity: He was cognisant of facing his anger.
“I played sport - to keep sane - rugby, soccer etc”. The physicality of sport took on a different dimension and when in primary school, he joined a drama group during Heritage Week.
“I loved the engagement between performer and audience,” he said.
Telling the story captivated him. It wasn’t enough to simply perform. He devised and directed his own work and, during high school, one of his plays won a major award at a festival. “I realised that I have a skill to tell stories,” he said.
Kent Ekberg, a Swedish theatre director, saw him perform and suggested he explore dance as a medium, and introduced Mbuli to Moving into Dance in Newtown, Joburg.
Mbuli was wowed. “I saw people flying on stage - telling stories without using a single word. You did not need to know Xhosa or French. Dance is a universal language. I got it.”
Training followed after school - after taking a gap year - and the accolades soon followed. Last year, he received the Standard Bank Young Award for dance.
It is the telling of stories through dance that propels him. “Dance is a language to tell stories. Anyone can dance. It is the story that compels me - most of my work has been story-driven.”
He has danced and choreographed with prestigious companies and was instrumental in a number of start-ups. He has co-founded Broken Borders Arts Project and the Unmute Dance Company.
In 2011, he moved to Cape Town to work with Remix Dance Company. “I fell in love with Cape Town,” he said. However, he continues to commute between the city and Gauteng, and is in demand in the international dance circuit as a dancer and choreographer.
A thrilling aspect of his commissioned piece for the Baxter Dance festival was that he was presented with four dancers who auditioned to be part of the festival.
“It is exciting and challenging to be working with new people I bring the framework and then it is about them bringing their own stories to the piece. This is how I work - collaboratively. I’m like the midwife, waiting for the birth.”
Regarding Autho(r)ise he said: “Growing up in South Africa and travelling the world, I’m always bothered by how men treat women.
"I have many questions such as: ‘Who gave man authority to be decision makers on behalf of women? Who gave man power to dictate how women should be, socially, culturally, religiously?’
“To me, gender hierarchy is a form of self-hate. Men wouldn’t be treating their daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers the way we do if we had a sense of self-love.
“From my observation, there seems to be a continuous disregard for the genocide on women (globally). It feels like a subtle slavery that women have to endure daily from men who feel they have full authority and are entitled to control them
“Having been raised by women, turning a blind eye feels like a betrayal to my grandmothers, mothers, aunts and sisters. My silence contributes to this genocide.”
* Tickets for the Baxter Dance Festival: R100 Main, R70 Off-Main, and R40 for Fringe Season. Discounts for block bookings, students and seniors.
Book at Computicket /www.computicket.com/0861 9158000.