CONVERSATIONS: A USA/South Africa Concert Collaboration
March 24 - 25, 2023
7:30pm
The Grandel
3610 Grandel Square,
St. Louis, MO 63108
Karlovsky & Company Dance welcomes South African guest choreographers, Yaseen Manuel and Marlin Zoutman, for CONVERSATIONS, Part II of their international collaboration project that began in 2018. After a few setbacks due to the pandemic, this performance is back on track!
CONVERSATIONS: A USA/South Africa Concert Collaboration will feature the premiere of “Rooted Within” – by South African guest artists, Yaseen Manuel and Marlin Zoutman. Their new work explores the theme of two men in search of joy, forgiveness, and self-acceptance at same time unfolding scars from inheritance. In their own unique way, they have always tried fitting in to society. They reflect on their past and on the realization that no man stands perfectly divine. “Rooted Within” allows for an unfolding of change and in search of a new chapter.
The second half of CONVERSATIONS features a re-staging of two works by Dawn Karlovsky, director of Karlovsky & Company Dance. The company will present “And Everything Changed”, one of Karlovsky first evening-length works created for Karlovsky & Company Dance in 2013 and restaged and edited for their South Africa tour in 2019. In celebration of the company’s 10th season, a remounting of this work seems appropriate to the times as this piece earnestly examines how we cope, adapt, and adjust to situations and experiences in our lives. “And Everything Changed” is emotionally honest with rich, textural movement that communicates a universal experience. The second work presented by Karlovsky is an excerpt from the company’s 2022 production of INTERWOVEN II – “United We Stand/Divided We Fall”, a work of contemporary dance inspired by the ecosystem of the forest. For this work, the company will be joined by local musician, Kalo Hoyle, who will perform an original sound score of percussive and electronic music created in collaboration with Tory Starbuck.
This concert will culminate with the collaboration piece, “Conversations” involving the performance of both companies onstage together. This revised work continues the movement exchange between the two companies that began back in 2019 during Karlovsky & Company Dance’s tour to Cape Town, South Africa.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see this dual-company performance of contemporary dance that transcends cultural differences and embraces the power of dialogue to understand one another and build trust.
TICKETS: $15 - $25
Suitable for all ages. Running time is approximately 1.15 hours.
Support for this event is made possible in part by the Missouri Arts Council - a state agency, the Regional Arts Commission, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, The Grandel Theatre, and private donors.
For more information, contact Karlovsky & Company Dance:
About the South African Guest Artists
Marlin Zoutman was born and raised in Saron, South Africa, a town of approximately 8,000. He moved to Cape Town, with 5 million people because he wanted the opportunity to learn more about dance. He joined JazzArt Dance Theater to further his training and eventually dance professionally. He started dancing at an arts focus school and then moved to Cape Town to explore the idea of dance. There were no opportunities in his hometown Saron. When he started dancing in Cape Town, he joined JazzArt Dance theatre to further his training and started his professional career in dance. He travelled locally and internationally and performed with various dance companies in South Africa.
Marlin has an extensive career having worked closely with numerous companies such as Free Flight Dance Company, Inspirations Dance Company, Cape Dance Company, Sean Bovim Ballet, Tshawne Dance Theatre, Karlovsky & Company Dance (USA), FO8 dance Collective, JazzArt Dance Theatre and Kirvan Fortuin Foundation. Marlin is the artistic director of New World dance theatre alongside Celeste Botha. He choreographed a work for Cape Town City Ballet “Moon Behind the Clouds”. He Lives by the saying: “When we move, we live.”
Yaseen Manuel was born in Cape Town, South Africa and is a teacher, choreographer and professional dancer. He began his training at Wynberg High School of the Arts and later trained and performed with JazzArts Theater. Since 2014 he has performed with UNMUTE DANCE THEATER traveling to Germany, Russia, Italy, France and other European countries. Before 2012 he didn’t think dance would be the center of his life because he was a semi-professional soccer player. He made a choice and has been performing and creating ever since that time. In 2021, Yaseen received an Andrew Mellon Foundation Award which included an artist in residence program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Yaseen considers his life as a dancer to be centered in spirituality and a fulfillment of who he is as a creative. His many years of service to youth through the teaching of dance reflects his commitment to instill confidence, drive and ambition in South Africa’s youth.
