THE 17th Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience gets underway at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College campus tomorrow (Wednesday, August 26) at 7.30 pm.

Lliane Loots, artistic director of Jomba! will deliver the opening address before dance-lovers enjoy a double bill featuring City of God, City of Man, choreographed by Adedayo Liadi and Qudus Onikeku (Lagos, Nigeria) and Le Cargo, choreographed by Faustin Linyekula (Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo).

In City of God, City of Man, the stage is like a city. You enter it, and you are in a world of concentrated time. Different ages are brought together; different histories spanning a common geography. You are in the city of God but have not left the city of Man. The secular meets the profane and untold extremities are resolved into a common sensibility.

Tomorrow night’s world premiere of this work pairs up, for the first time, Nigeria’s two most influential contemporary dance makers, Qudus Onikeku and Adedayo Liadi.
The dancer’s breath becomes an uncertain bonding of these two men which is not necessarily determined by ancient ancestral lore …

Faustin Linyekula has spent over a decade telling stories. Stories of the Congo, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, of Zaire, of the Belgian Congo … for the country has been called all of these names throughout its history. In these stories, the bodies
are marked by history and lives are marked by violence.

But how can one let the body speak of history while leaving words behind, if only for an instant? How does one remember the dance, or at least a certain romantic idea of dance, something that occurs in the instant just before words, just before the outcry, just before the story, or in the space thereafter?

In this journey towards himself, Linyekula will board a train that does not exist anymore, whose rails have been swallowed by the forest. He will search for
that which ceases to exist, to dance that which has been forbidden by the new age; by the God of Miracles. He will find the master drummer who has given up rhythm to become a pastor.

The double bill of dance will be repeated at 7.30 pm on Thursday, August 27. Afterwards in the Jomba! Talks Dance post show discussion, there will be a chance to interact with Liadi, Onikeku and Linyekula. The session is hosted by Lliane Loots.

Jomba! runs until September 6. For more information go to http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

The programme for the rest of the festival
Friday, August 28 at 7.30 pm and Saturday, August 29 at 2.30 pm and 7.30 pm: Introdans (Arnhem, The Netherlands) presents Joy4Dance. Un Ballo choreography by Jiří Kylián; Trompe L’Oeil choreography by Jiří Kylián; Psycho Killer choreography by Daniël Ezralow; Bon Appétit choreography by Robert Battle.

The Jomba! Talks Dance post show discussion on August 28 features Roel Voorintholt (Artistic Director for Introdans) and Adriaan Luteijn (Introdans Interactive director). It is hosted by Lliane Loots.

Sunday, August 30 at 2.30 pm: Jomba! Youth Fringe – entry is free. Venue: Open Air Theatre at UKZN.

Tuesday, September 1 at 7.30 pm: Jomba! Fringe featuring 10 selected works of 10 to 15 minutes each, by local up and coming choreographers.

Wednesday, September 2 at 6.30 pm: Chant, choreography by Nhlanhla Mahlangu and directed by Gerard Bester (Johannesburg, South Africa); Redefining… Homework is a collaborative dance exchange between the Floating Outfit Project (South Africa) and Studios Kabako (Democratic Republic of Congo) guided by Faustin Linyekula (Kisangani) and Boyzie Cekwana (Durban). Venue: artSPACE durban, 3 Millar Road, Durban.

Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4 at 7.30 pm: Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre (Durban, South Africa) presents rite choreographed by Jay Pather and the company (PG16).

The Jomba! Talks Dance discussion on Friday, September 4 fetaures Jay Pather. It is hosted by Lliane Loots.

Saturday, September 5 at and Sunday, September 6 at 7.30 pm: Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre and the Flatfoot Dance Company present The JOMBA! Initiative a short film made by Chicago filmmaker Nine Blackmon; Caterfly choreographed by Kevin Iega Jeff; When Lambs Become Lions choreographed by Nicole Clarke Springer; premier choreographed by Kevin Iega Jeff; In His Name choreographed by Anthony Marshall; and encounters choreography by Lliane Loots, Nicole Clarke Springer, Gary Abbott and Kevin Iega Jeff.

The Jomba! Talks Dance post show discussion on Saturday, September 6 will feature Kevin Iega Jeff (Chicago, USA), Nichole Clarke Springer (Chicago, USA) and Lliane Loots. It is hosted by Chris Tobo.