Choreographer: Dada Masilo
While dancers respond to the music, rarely do they stop mid performance to tell the musicians they are playing too fast. It is a rare comic moment in Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice, a piece inspired by Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring that explores community, nature and faith through tribal rituals and connection to the earth. Bringing Tswana dance to the main stage at Sadler’s Wells. Masilo’s piece performs for two nights as part of a nationwide tour.
Following Stravinksy’s original structure, Masilo’s choreography divides into two parts; a group of people celebrating the earth as spring itself is ushered in as a tribe arrive in the forest to dance joyfully. The musical choices are wide ranging. Sometimes a scratchy violin encourages staccato movements while European folk creeps in as the tempo rises. The dance itself is loose but controlled, movement flowing from the shoulders as the performers place their hands on their hips, bend into the rhythm or allow themselves to be consumed by the physicality of their ritual.
The second part of Masilo’s story involves the sacrifice itself as a woman is chosen from the group. Here Masilo creates division. The men are seated and alert watching long solos from the female dancers, notably Thandiwe Mqokeli who delivers an expressive performance followed by Eutychia Rakaki. But the mood becomes more sombre and the presentation of a lily to the chosen one – Masilo herself – is a poignant moment as the dancer tries to avoid her fate.
A change of tone follows as the preparatory ritual begins, characters returning in pure white flowing costumes designed by David Hutt, a contrast to the earthy brown with low bands of colour that responded to the swirl of the performers’ skirts. As the lead dances herself to oblivion, the male perfomers arrive to hold her in place and a sinister feeling descends until the victim is mournfully handed over to the wise woman, or in this case lead singer Ann Masina, as though she has been sacrificed to music itself so that others may dance on.
There is deep meaning all the way through Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice that combines a clarity of storytelling with the fascinating combinations of classical ballet and Tswana dance that Masilo has blended seamlessly together in this piece. The Botswanan form is lively and expressive, filled with powerful shaping and fast footwork that occasionally nods to the intricacy of Spanish dance, but Masilo also brings moments of silence and stillness, where slow, creeping movements, chants and rhythmic claps create light and shade within the story.
This mix of jaunty but also sombre and reflective chapters is reflected in the music performed by Leroy Mapholo, Mpho Mothiba, Nathi Shongwe and the outstanding Masina whose operatic voice has extraordinary range as well as sensitivity to the mood of the scene, yet the range of musical styles feels as harmonious as Masilo’s blend of choreographic styles. The ending is a little protracted with a long section devoted to the slow process of passing over, but The Sacrifice has a significant resonance with Masilo and company discovering the power of Tswana dance along with the audience.
Runs until 25 February 2023
