The One Who Stays / Die een wat bly is part dream, part testimony. Using the company’s personal memories as a starting point, it sketches the relationship between mothers and their sons. It is a combination of dance and drama that revolves around the narrative of an artist who travels back to his childhood. After a dancer’s mother dies, he strolls through the flashes of his memories, as well as the imagined secret life of his mother, to come to terms with his past, his identity, his family and his future. Dance and physical theatre are supported by text to expose loss, and the special and intricate relationship between mothers and their sons on the road to healing.
Most recently the production was nominated for 6 KKNK Kanna Awards: Best Ensemble, Best Debut, Best Literary Contribution, Best Theatre Production, Best Director and Best Set Design.
Production Credits
PERFORMERS
Daneel van der Walt, Grant van Ster & Shaun Oelf
DIRECTOR
Wessel Pretorius
WRITER
Wessel Pretorius in collaboration with company
CHOREOGRAPHY
Figure of 8 Dance Theatre in collaboration Natalie Fisher
SET AND LIGHTING DESIGN
Gideon Lombard
PROJECTION DESIGNER AND STAGE MANAGER
Nell van der Merwe
PRODUCER AND PRODUCTION MANAGER
Marié Vogts
A Figure of 8 production, in collaboration with the KKNK and Suidoosterfees. Supported by NATi, the Festival Enterprise Catalyst (FEC) and the Jobs Fund.
About the Artists
Producing company (2 performers & PM): Figure of 8 Dance Theatre
Figure of 8 Dance Theatre was co-founded in 2014 by acclaimed dance artists Grant Van Ster and Shaun Oelf, with company manager Marie Vogts joining the team in 2018. This year marks the organisation’s 10th anniversary, kicking off celebrations at their annual Winter Season at the Baxter Theatre. They will also conclude the year with their first three-month performance development course.
FO8DT believes that through the artistic language of dance, we can encourage young people to become more self-aware, rise above challenges, and have the freedom to dream. The creative duo, Van Ster and Oelf, began their formal dance training under the directorship of South African dance icons Alfred Hinkel and John Linden. They have collectively and independently collaborated with some of the most recognised South African and international dance-theatre makers.
Figure of 8 Dance Theatre has been acclaimed for the exceptional dance-theatre productions it creates, receiving Cultural Affairs Awards for Best Contribution in Dance, The Baxter Theatre Artists of the Year Award, Best Dance Production at Toyota US Woordfees, the KKNK Arts Unlimited Young Voice of the Year Award, and additional nominations from BroadwayWorld South Africa and the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards.
- Venue: Rhodes Box
- Location: Rhodes Theatre
- Ticket price: ZAR 110.00
- Programme type: Curated Programme
- Genre: Dance & Physical Theatre
- Duration: 70 minutes
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Ages:
10+
