Choreographer & Director: Musa Hlatshwayo

LX and AV consultant: Wesley Maherry

Jazzart Dance Theatre Dancers

Photos: Val Adamson

Musa Hlatshwayo is a multi-award winning performing artist, choreographer, creative/ artistic director of his own company; Mhayise Productions. His work explores the complexities of African (black) bodies and identities while celebrating the intersectionality between contemporary African storytelling and dance activism through personal and politically conscious performative installations. His experience of more than two decades has seen him research, create, stage, produce and direct cutting-edge and socio-politically conscious contemporary dance theatre work that has won him many accolades on national and international stages.

Some of his major accolades include;

- the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance for the year 2018

- an honorary Award ‘The Eric Shabala Dance Champion Award’ by the CCA and Jomba in recognition of his contribution to the development of dance in KZN

- KZN Dancelink’s Choreographer of the Year in 3 consecutive years

- Extensive commissions and grants to create new work by various international festivals

- Extensive tours with his own work in Africa, Europe and America.

His approach to creative contemporary expression and choreography is studied in various arts education and training institutions where he continues to appear as a guest lecturer, artist in residency and creative researcher. He also facilitates engaging creative workshops in arts festivals, schools and alternative or creative learning spaces where he fuses Afrocentric (conventional and non-conventional) approaches to performative contemporary and cultural and artistic expression that sees voice and body as one.

JAZZART DANCE THEATRE

52-Year-old Jazzart Dance Theatre is South Africa's oldest contemporary dance company and it is recognised for its powerful influence on the development of dance in the country. Its prodigious creative and critical output allows the company to use dance as a transformative tool to fully interrogate social awareness and cultural inclusiveness.

Jazzart’s objectives are achieved through an approach of ‘Educate, Collaborate and Create’. Each step builds on the raw talent and growth of each dancer and develops them into well rounded, educated, economically active and culturally engaged artists. The company’s cycle starts with the three-year full-time training programme that is offered to talented young adults from communities who have been historically denied access to performing arts as a career choice. The company’s training combines a strong technique with a uniquely South African dance philosophy which is deeply rooted in the country’s diverse culture and traditions.

Jazzart is based at Artscape in Cape Town and extends its reach throughout the province to ensure wide accessibility to its programmes.