Above: Dada Masilo in THE SACRIFICE; photo by John Hogg
Author: Oberon
Wednesday May 24th, 2023 - In 2018, South Africa’s award-winning dancer/choreographer Dada Masilo thrilled me with her re-imagining of Giselle. Ms. Masilo and her company of dancers and musicians have now returned to The Joyce with her latest creation: The Sacrifice.
In a program note, Ms. Masilo spoke of dancing part of Pina Bausch's Rite of Spring while still a student. The music of Stravinsky made a vivid impression on her; the rhythmic variety of the score inspired her, and once she had formed her own company, she returned to the story of the Rite and gave it a fresh take, building on the uniquely rhythmic and expressive movements of ‘Tswana’, the traditional dance of Botswana. Her vision called for a new score, and she found it in a quartet of musicians who performed it live onstage tonight: Ann Masina, Leroy Mapholo, Mpho Mothiba, and Nathi Shongwe. The exhilarating music, brilliantly played (and sung!) tonight, was the springboard for dancing and storytelling that thoroughly engaged the audience, who seemed entranced by the hour-long work and erupted in a boisterous, screaming ovation at the final curtain.
Above: Ann Masina and Dada Masilo; photo by John Hogg
In a brief prologue, Dada Masilo wanders the beautifully lit stage, seemingly in search of something. She encounters a majestic woman, a village elder/priestess, played by Ann Masina. Ms. Masina will eventually play a major role in the drama, but for the most of the work, she seated herself stage left with the other musicians and proceeded to sing her heart out: what a grand and glorious natural voice this woman has! She simply pours out her rich sound throughout a vast range; the only comparable voice I can think of is Jessye Norman's.
Now the ensemble embarks on an extraordinary set of group dances: ritualistic, energy-packed, and with a dash of sexy thrown in. These are compelling movers, and they feed off the dazzling music, played by keyboard, violin, and percussion and graced by Ms. Masina's boundless voice. A humorous situation arises: when the music speeds up, the dancers at first keep pace, but then they decide it's too fast; they stop dancing, and yell at the musicians to slow down. The music resumes, but again hits the accelerator and the dancers protest. The audience loved this scene.
The story now takes a serious turn: the men, clad in long white skirts, indicate that Ms. Masilo is to be the sacrificial victim. Dancing topless, Dada embodies the young woman's vulnerability and chastity. (John Hogg photo, above).
It is Ms. Masina who performs the ritual: an intimate - rather than a public - ceremony.
As the young woman's body is laid to rest, the villagers come to place calla lilies on her grave: a poignant end to a powerful dancework.
All performance photos by John Hogg, courtesy of The Joyce.
~ Oberon