I WAS with a friend at the Calidis coffee shop in Newtown the other day. This is a place in Newtown known for serving the best coffee in town and because of this, and the fact that it is situated in Johannesburg's artistic hub, it always teems with artists, playwrights, writers, journalists and dancers.
One of the artists who likes frequenting this place is Johannesburg's hottest dance property - the petite Dada Masilo.
Trained in contemporary dance at the Dance Factory in Newtown, where she still works as a dance teacher and mentor to many young dancers, Masilo is small in physical stature - but in terms of artistic energy, choreographic skills and focus of vision she is bigger than most physically bigger dancers in her category.
She is unique in that she likes dealing in dance classics, for example Carmen, which saw her get a huge note from dance critics at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival this year.
Also Romeo and Juliet, a piece she choreographed beautifully to dance her way into the hearts and minds of dance fans at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2008. It was part of her commissioned work as Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for 2007.
Now she is behind Swan Lake, which will be performed at this year's Arts Alive.
I have no doubt those who will be fortunate to attend her shows at the Dance Factory, which started yesterday and end on Sunday, will go home fulfilled.
Swan Lake is on at The Dance Factory tonight and tomorrow at 7.30pm and on Sunday at 2pm.
Masilo's riding the crest of the dance waves
I WAS with a friend at the Calidis coffee shop in Newtown the other day. This is a place in Newtown known for serving the best coffee in town and because of this, and the fact that it is situated in Johannesburg's artistic hub, it always teems with artists, playwrights, writers, journalists and dancers.
One of the artists who likes frequenting this place is Johannesburg's hottest dance property - the petite Dada Masilo.
Trained in contemporary dance at the Dance Factory in Newtown, where she still works as a dance teacher and mentor to many young dancers, Masilo is small in physical stature - but in terms of artistic energy, choreographic skills and focus of vision she is bigger than most physically bigger dancers in her category.
She is unique in that she likes dealing in dance classics, for example Carmen, which saw her get a huge note from dance critics at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival this year.
Also Romeo and Juliet, a piece she choreographed beautifully to dance her way into the hearts and minds of dance fans at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2008. It was part of her commissioned work as Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for 2007.
Now she is behind Swan Lake, which will be performed at this year's Arts Alive.
I have no doubt those who will be fortunate to attend her shows at the Dance Factory, which started yesterday and end on Sunday, will go home fulfilled.
Swan Lake is on at The Dance Factory tonight and tomorrow at 7.30pm and on Sunday at 2pm.