IN TRYING to explore issues of identity through dance, top local dancers Celeste Botha and Megan Erasmus have created an exciting new production called Scars.
IN TRYING to explore issues of identity through dance, top local dancers Celeste Botha and Megan Erasmus have created an exciting new production called Scars.
The two dancers, who have appeared in television shows such as Backstage and So You Think You Can Dance, will present the production at the Artscape Arena in Cape Town on January 14.
Written and directed by Asanda Phewa, Scars marks the debut of Erasmus and Botha's new production company, Breakthru Entertainment. Erasmus and Botha are finally giving expression to their ideas and particular dance aesthetic.
"As much as we love dancing in other productions, we have often spoken about doing our own thing and telling our own stories," Erasmus said.
"We've also been fascinated about our heritage as coloured South African women. With Scars we want to embrace our identity and our connection to both our black and white ancestors," adds Botha.
Botha said they wanted to shift myths and misperceptions about what being coloured means. Through Scars they also want to challenge the notion that white ancestry is more important and therefore deserved more recognition.
"As coloured South Africans we are used to our family and friends acknowledging their European ancestry, but there seems to be an unspoken shame about our African ancestors.
"We want people to see that our strengths as a people are derived from the incredible diversity that our heritage comprises and that we should take pride in that," Botha said.
They said Scarswas aimed at all sectors of South African society because "identity is a universal issue".
Scars to expose identity
IN TRYING to explore issues of identity through dance, top local dancers Celeste Botha and Megan Erasmus have created an exciting new production called Scars.
IN TRYING to explore issues of identity through dance, top local dancers Celeste Botha and Megan Erasmus have created an exciting new production called Scars.
The two dancers, who have appeared in television shows such as Backstage and So You Think You Can Dance, will present the production at the Artscape Arena in Cape Town on January 14.
Written and directed by Asanda Phewa, Scars marks the debut of Erasmus and Botha's new production company, Breakthru Entertainment. Erasmus and Botha are finally giving expression to their ideas and particular dance aesthetic.
"As much as we love dancing in other productions, we have often spoken about doing our own thing and telling our own stories," Erasmus said.
"We've also been fascinated about our heritage as coloured South African women. With Scars we want to embrace our identity and our connection to both our black and white ancestors," adds Botha.
Botha said they wanted to shift myths and misperceptions about what being coloured means. Through Scars they also want to challenge the notion that white ancestry is more important and therefore deserved more recognition.
"As coloured South Africans we are used to our family and friends acknowledging their European ancestry, but there seems to be an unspoken shame about our African ancestors.
"We want people to see that our strengths as a people are derived from the incredible diversity that our heritage comprises and that we should take pride in that," Botha said.
They said Scarswas aimed at all sectors of South African society because "identity is a universal issue".