Dance And Drama In Mdantsane - The Imonti Arts Company Under V.S.T.C

Acting and Dancing In Mdantsane

There is a lot of dance and drama in Mdantsane. You just have to look for it! Some of it takes place at the Mdantsane Arts Center, that is presently going through a revival period.

The Imonti Arts Company Under V.S.T.C

 

On our last visit to the center we surprised the "Imonti Art Company Under V.S.T.C" during a training session. The guys and girls of the Imonti Art Company were busy rehearsing a dance and drama play, that they have created themselves in the studio of the Arts Center. 

Their play is a mixture of dance, song and poetry.

Expressing the spirit of Mdantsane

A little bit surprised by our intrusion into their domain they did however not hesitate a minute to give us a taste of what they were working on. What we saw was pretty impressive!

Local Talent Made in Mdantsane

These young Mdantsanians are no amateurs. They have already traveled to Germany and performed there with their group before larger audiences.

Mandla Sanelisiswe

The group of young people share between them a whole range of talents, that combined make up a contemporary drama and dance performance, that has the power to mesmerize the spectator. Infatuating rhtymn and singing, dancing, stamping feet, mixed with poetry makes you keep your eyes on the actors. 

This is no boring drama and dance play, not one of those plays where you politely wait until the end has come and you take a deep breath when outside, lucky that you can go home. No, this is not one of those. This is Mdantsane's power and talent combined and you just wish they must continue to perform in front of you..

Member of the Imonti Arts Company

The group's performance covers topics that arise from the neighbourhood, they live in. Their stories talk about the daily life in Mdantsane.

And nobody is more qualified to talk about it than they are.

Masindwa Ntsingisela (right) is the poet of the group

After the rehearsal Masindwa Ntsingisela said: "Can I say a poem for you?"
His poem talked about young people that have choosen the way of crime as their career.

Born to be a dancer

Looking at the images we have uploaded for you, you can even feel a little bit of that intensity and passion, that showers the spectator.

 

You will be able to see more of them in our documentary movie "Mdantsane - Another African Story".

Interview With Ali Of The Imonti Jazz Band

Some serious drumming has been going on at the Mdantsane Arts Center

During our last unannounced visit to the Mdantsane Arts Center we met Ali and sort of hi-jacked him by dragging him into a music room and forcing him to give us an interview. Ali stands for musician, music instructor at the Mdantsane Arts Center and founder of the Imonti Jazz Band.

Ali Of The Imonti Jazz Band

"This chair," Ali said by pointing on something that looked like a mixed media art piece, like something that is still work in progress," this chair is not supposed to be here".

"Ah, OK."

"No really, this chair is not supposed to be. It is one of my friends chairs and he wants to upholster it. But he still has not collected it. You know how it goes!"

We had not even paid attention to the chair, but here it was and it obviously bothered Ali. But it did in fact look cool. It belonged there in that room with the seriously beaten up drum and the micro.

This Chair Is Not Supposed To Be Here! Says Ali!   

The chair, the micro and the drum were the first three things when we entered the music room and Ali, they all belong there! 

The Drumming Station

"Tell us a little bit about your music Ali".

"I have my own band, I founded the Imonti Jazz Band," Ali says.

"Why Jazz Ali, that's unusual, you are still a young guy and the whole township is into house now. Is Jazz not the domain of elderly guys?"

"That's right, but you know, I found my way into Jazz because I had to find something that is compatible with my soul and with me as a person. I was listening to Kwaito and to Hip Hop but I am a sort of mellow person. When I wake up in the morning I can not listen to Kwaito. I have to get up and hear some soft soothing sound. I really came to love jazzy bluesy music. And I begin my day, every day with it."

"How is the work with the Imonti Jazz Band going?"

"We are practising as often as we can. As often as we can, we come together and we make music. We did not succeed in getting a record contract yet. In this sense the township is underdeveloped. You have to make it first somewhere else, even in Europe or in the US before people recognize your talent here in South Africa.

We have heard that before from other musicians!

Teacher And Student At The Mdantsane Art Center

"And what about your work as a music instructor at the Arts Center here in Mdantsane?" 

"I have been involved in music my whole life and since a while I am a teacher here at the center. The students come after school to learn how to play different instruments and to make music".

"Do you think that music has a healing effect"?

"Music is such a powerful thing. Living and growing up in a township, young people are exposed to many bad influences. I am not talking bad about my kazi but although things are changing here, there is still the danger lingering that young people might be influenced in the wrong way and end up in criminal activities. 

Jobs are scarce, money is scarce and so... what do you do as teenager? You have been stimulated and manipulated by the media and television day and night, that you need certain things to be considered acceptable in society but you do not have the money to buy them and worse looking around you - it looks everywhere the same. 

And then there is the question, where do you go after school. You do not really want to go home. So, the shopping mall is a place where you can be happy. But only for a short time because more desires are created, that can not be fulfilled."

Making Music Is Healing And Prevents Crime

"Is your music class frequented a lot"?

"Oh yes, that is what I am saying, the Arts Center is a place where you can come to after school, it is an alternative to being on the streets. It is a place where you can develop your talent. It is just because of the rain today, that students are coming late. 

We have an open mind to practising. You have to feel music first before you can make it. So we talk also a lot about music".

The Specators

"Will you play something for us now, Ali?"

"Oh, I don't have my guitar with me".

"There is one in the corner".

"But it has got only four strings", Ali said.

"Come on Ali, give it a try,.....please!

"Oh, my god with only four strings".

"Come on please".

"Ok, if you want me too".   

And the students love his song played on a four stringed guitar

Ali played for us one of his own songs, a love song called Wasuka Wandishiya. He played it on an out of tune (that was very hard to tune), four stringed guitar and it still sounded beautiful! That is what you can call a full blooded musician!

Of course we taped it and it became part of our documentary movie Mdantsane Another African Story.

Ali And The Four Stringed Guitar

And we made him listen to his own song!

Ali surprised about the quality of his music

Ali and LordAxHooper

Thank you Ali for your time! 

The Chair

Mkhokeli Radiators Is Always Open

We have received a beautiful comment from one of our readers from the United States. Ann Malaspina is an author of books for children and teens. She lives in the Greater New York City Area and we thank her with this article for her comment. Words like hers are what keeps us going and make us stronger and better. Thank you Ann! 

"What a lovely online magazine. I really enjoyed the beautiful photographs and commentary. I feel like I had made a trip to South Africa, where I've never been, and met some wonderful people. Thank you for your work."

Posted by Ann Malaspina

In this spirit we are going to show you another interesting place on Hi-Way in Mdantsane.

Mkhokeli Radiators At Hi Way in Mdantsane

 

The good thing in having a small business around the Hi-Way market area in Mdantsane is, that if you have to go away for a couple of minutes, somebody (usually a close friend) is going to watch your shop. 

Everything is close together and should the unlucky incident occur, that an unexpected costumer arrives in your absence, you will be called right away! 

Business can be done from any place in Mdantsane, from you backyard, from your house, from a shack and from a container. The only thing you need is a roof over your head and a big hand-painted signboard outside telling the world that you are there.

Business Can Be Done From Any Place

The Mdantsane Arts Center

The Mdantsane Arts Center is situated in NU 1 and is funded by the Department of Arts and Culture. It has had its ups and downs in the past.

We paid a visit to the center the other day to see what is happening at the moment.

A Mural Painted On A Container At The Mdantsane Arts Center

The best visits for us are the ones that are not planned and not prepared because then we get a real feeling for a place. This day the heavens had opened their flood gates and a very fine and thin rain was pouring down on us and left us soaking wet withing seconds. The sky was dark and the light dressed all the buildings and everything else around us in an uniform grey. The cameras had to be hidden and carried under plastic bags. It felt like an end-of the world day. A feeling of wanting to go home, crept up inside of us.

But we found artists there! And not only one or two!

A Dance And A Music Instructor At The Mdantsane Arts Center

The Arts Center has a couple of fixed buildings, that host several rooms. We were able to see amongst others a dance room used by drama and dance groups for their practice, a larger workshop that hosts a women's pottery group and painters and a musical room. The other rooms were closed that day. 

On the property outside containers are set up, that serve as workshops for artists and crafters, like Welile the basket weaver whom we have already introduced to you.

Container workshops in the yard of the Mdantsane Arts Center

While we were there more artists were coming to the center instead of the heavy rain. The fact that the center was frequented so much on this day, when we paid an unannounced visit, makes it clear how important art is for every society and especially for Mdantsane. 

Art is an extremely powerful instrument not only in expressing society, but also in reforming the society from the inside. South Africa is a society that has more stories to tell than anyone can perceive. 

South Africa is a multi-cultural society in constant transformation, with a rich base of different and interesting people. The artists are the ones that can tell the stories of South Africa to the rest of the world.

We need the writers, dancers, poets, musicians, actors and filmmakers! We need them! We need them to express our lives and the times we live in!

Mural on the wall of a container

For a place like Mdantsane an art center is a necessity. That day there were so many artists but there was little space. South Africa is a country with a very high crime and unemployment rate and the townships are the spots were the left overs of the misery that South Africa's history of segregation has created can still be found in concentrated form.

What alternatives does the youth have in Mdantsane? The Art Center is an outlet for creativity and a counter measure to crime and boredom. But it could be much more than that. It could be a powerful instrument in the development of the youth. Of everyone in fact! You do not need to be young to become an artist.

There are great discussions going on concerning the number of residents, that life in Mdantsane. The official number after the last government census ranges at 400.000 and something. In our opinion this does not even come close to the actual number. But we are just speculating. 

So how can a small space like the Mdantsane Arts Center cater and accommodate the talent of the people in the township. The answer is: it cannot! 

But it could.

The rule with promoting artists is, that there has to be a certain continuity in funding. It takes a long time to develop an artist. An artist needs first of all the peace of mind to work on his talent and become better in his skill until he reaches a certain level, that satisfies him. When he reaches this level, only then is he confident to expose himself and his work to the world. 

Peace of mind you can only have when you are not hungry!

If there is no continuity in funding the process of grooming talent is interrupted and to start all over again is much more difficult. This is the story of many art centers.

Some things do not bring money but they bring good for the society at large and money has to be spend on them.

Creativity in a container

It could be a place not only to occupy the youth but to seriously groom Mdantsane's talent

The talent that walks the streets of Mdantsane can not be counted! The talent we met in one day at the arts center was impressive. We will be publishing a couple of articles about our encounters with the artists!

But we will be back for more in depth interviews and recordings.Today you are getting some impressions from the outside, especially of the beautiful murals, that decorate the outside of the containers.

Drama and Dance Group at The Mdantsane Arts Center

The way we see it is that the government should not only see the arts center as a place to keep young people occupied and keep them from the streets but to really start understanding the importance of an arts center as a place to groom seriously the talent of Mdantsane. Amen!

Sakhile Graphics Project At The Mdantsane Arts Center - Graphic Design From A Container

One Moment's Sweetness

Where Do You Go For Lunch In Mdantsane - The Red Star

Sure, you can go the the Mdantsane City Mall for lunch and sit at one of the many franchises like Wimpy, Debonairs, Chicken Licken  and some other known fast food chains. But long time before the mall opened in Mdantsane The Red Star has been there. The Red Star is a legendary place today, known for its huge vetkoek's and other home cooked meals. 

 

The Red Star is only a couple of hundred meters away from the Mdantsane City Mall but it is still going strong. - probably because the food  really tastes good.

There is more than one cook preparing the Russians, bread rolls, cooked chicken and the in Mdantsane well known vetkoek's.

 The doves also find their fair share just around the corner.

The owner Mzamo is the manager of a soccer club as well and he promised us an interview and a good look into his kitchen the next time.

The New Generation- Scenes From The Film Set

Velile Of Imonti Tours With The Kids

The generation that fought for the freedom of South Africa did not really get a lot of benefits from it. They knew they finally had achieved something incredible. The foundation for social justice for everyone and democracy had been laid. But they could not really feel it because the process of transformation would still take more than decades.

The generation that came after the ones who fought for freedom has still a heavy load to carry. The weight of Apartheid has placed a psychological burden on the children of the ones who fought for a free society. The aftermath of Apartheid has created emotional boundaries and suspicion amongst people of different color.

Velile Having Fun

But the ones whose lives have started a couple of years ago will be the free ones. They will not dwell on the past so much anymore. They will not think about color so much anymore. They will just live their lives!

They will not hesitate to reach out to whomever they want to reach out, no matter the color or language.

Lord Ax Hooper Connecting With the Kids

With these children the power of education has finally kicked in.

Each and every one of these kids could speak to us in perfect English.

You can feel the freedom rooted inside. You can see it in their eyes. You can see the fear that has walked South Africa's streets so long is gone.

There is a lot to talk and to learn from each other

It does obviously take three generations. 

But South Africa's future and hope is now walking the streets with confidence! 

We have to more stories of the Inkwenkwezi High School in preparation but we wanted to share these images with you.