African Classical Poetry and Contemporary Dance Review: An evening of ancient musings

African Classical Poetry and Contemporary Dance came to interact with each other at the Polokwane Auditorium at Library Gardens, presented by Botho Arts Festival 2023 in partnership with the City of Polokwane. This two week-long basket of theatre performances is curated by its artistic director Mashupe Phala. Friday the 24th February 2023 evening was not only a night of theatre but of visual art exhibition too. The precinct of the city is doing its best to present a dose of art festivities at no entry fee to the general public. Both the evening events are funded by the National Arts Council of South Africa through the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. 

The evening started with a group exhibition at the Polokwane Art Museum titled Anti Bullying Exhibition coordinated by Frans Phooko and Jonas Mailula, whose artworks are part of the show. The exhibition was opened by the city of Polokwane’s arts and cultural desk expert Malose Lekganyane wherein he highlighted the scourge of bullying that has gradually become a wildfire in our schools. Lekganyane emphasised that bullying must be understood that it happens everywhere in our communities not a reserve for schools.

The artists have used their work to verbalise through visuals, their advocacy for anti-bullying in our schools. The works on show are largely 2-dinensional pieces and great to point out that the project boost public art, wherein four public schools played host of mural paintings. From this exhibition, we understand that victims of both physical violence, emotional abuse and cyberbullying are not a mere statistical achievement but real individuals who are part of our society.

We then converged to the Auditorium to watch Moshalane wa Moshalagae, a stage production by Thatale Klaas Motebejane starring Marvin Moane with choreographical movement by Seitebaleng Dire. This astonishing performance spans less than an hour but is thronged with a detailed telling of ancient African culture told in Sepedi. Moshalane wa Moshalagae, loosely translated Last Born of Homebearer is weaved as an indefectible sequence of vignettes. In it the audience member is challenged of his or her sense of belonging. The poetic nuanced monologue rendered on stage is a hybridity of classical and modern Sepedi language. I haven't watched a fully fledged stage production resplendent of richly pure Sepedi from start to finish without interference of other languages to it. 

The music of Philip Tabane and Malombo is the interface of monologue and choreographic motions are melodious, others heuristic. Moments of tenderness abut irony and reminiscences. Tabane's music, though played briefly, is an astronomical mix of styles, trances and spiritual, but always beautifully calibrated to the moment and the trajectory of the work as a whole. The fluidity of interaction charges between molonologue,  lighting, movement, and dance. Motebejane's own showcases are cultural custodial for the future generations of Bapedi. 

The narrative thread of this performance is not only mere storytelling of love and childbearing but a connection of the past, the present and future. You cannot classify this piece unless you recognise the ancient African way of art and culture as a continued relevance in the present day. 

Botho Arts Festival 2023 ends on Saturday the 25th of February and the Nu Afro Art exhibition will conclude on the 9th March 2023.