Issued on behalf of Artscape, Théâtre Taliipot, and the Nirox Foundation
Following the acclaimed South African tour of their poignant piece Mâ Ravan in 2009, Théâtre Taliipot is back to premiere their new choreographic and theatrical creation !Aïa “from cave to sky”. It opens at the Artscape Arena for a season from 1 to 17 September 2011. Performances are Tuesdays to Saturday at 7:30pm. Accompanying the production, and not to be missed, is a significant photographic exhibition in the foyers of the Arena and the Artscape Theatre.
!Aïa is a San name which means ‘a special state of being’. !AÏA is waking up your strongest feelings and becoming reborn. This contemporary show brought to life by dancers, actors and musicians is a journey that reconnects and celebrates the relationship between man and nature.
Better known for their productions of ‘Mâ Ravan’ and ‘The Water Carrier’, the successful award winning producers, Philippe Pelen Baldini and Thierry Moucazambo join forces to present this new show which features South African and Creole artists.
The artistic direction is by Philippe Pelen Baldini and Thierry Moucazambo (Réunion Island). Choreography, script and direction are by Philippe Pelen Baldini assisted by Themba Mbuli (SA). Performers are Themba Mbuli, Isaac Kenny Rakotsoane and Thierry Moucazambo. Sound Design is by Phil Thurston (UK-SA based) and Music Composition by Phil Thurston, Isaac Kenny Rakotsoane and Thierry Moucazambo who is also the drama assistant.
Théâtre Taliipot is no stranger to South African audiences having created and produced many performances and artistic collaborations since 1994, at the end of apartheid. Their work has been highly acknowledged throughout South Africa through their productions, workshops and lectures.
The idea of this production was born in South Africa on a specific site, classified by UNESCO, considered to be one of the cradles of humanity. The artistic team first worked with scientists, artists and traditional healers visiting unique places where one can still feel and see the tracks of the San people, one of the most ancient cultures in the world, and the root of the humankind tree. They then worked in Réunion Island and returned to South Africa to work at the Nirox Foundation, in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind and finally at Artscape where they have been rehearsing for the past three months.
About the show director Philippe Pelen Baldini says; “This work is not so much a specific story as an experience with dancers, actors and musicians in performance. It celebrates the relationship between man and nature and between domination and empathy. We were inspired by rock paintings and petroglyphs and guided by scientists and traditional healers. We traveled through different worlds and memories, always showing a deep alliance between Man and Nature, questioning the sources and roots of our identity and mobility. It is the fruit of a long research and creation process.
The music has been inspired by traditional African songs infused with compositions by Mozart and electronic music. This contemporary approach to sounds and song has a reference to native music as well as the ancient language of the original civilization.”
Beyond the persecution and discrimination that the San underwent, the fathers and the mothers of all of us, Théâtre Taliipot questions their vision, their experience and their expression of the origins, the link to earth and to nature with which they are in everlasting empathy. Through the memory of the dancers’ bodies, Théâtre Taliipot searches, beyond ruptures, the link to this origin, this spring, still active in us today and in the heart of a city and modernity.
Marlene le Roux, Artscape Director, emphasizes how important it is to promote and protect the dignity and stories and journeys of the indigenous people of South Africa. She says; ‘This production is significant for the affirmation of its history and the value it brings to our cultural kaleidoscope.’
!Aïa is presented in association with Artscape, Nirox Foundation and Théâtre Taliipot and is supported by the French Institute of South Africa, Conseil Général and Conseil Régional of Réunion Island and the French Department of Culture.
Théâtre Taliipot would like to acknowledge !Khwa ttu - the San Education and Culture Centre, and the San community.
Tickets for !Aïa cost R80. Pensioner and Students: R60 with valid ID. Block bookings 10% discount on groups of 10 or more. Book at Artscape-Dial-a Seat 021 421 7695, or 0861 915 8000, Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers outlets and on line www.computicket.com - Duration of the show is 1.25 hours with no interval.
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