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Speaker 1: Selwodo to Weekend Breakfast Happening in the Arts.

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Speaker 2: It's eighteen minutes before nine o'clock. Welcome back to seven

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Speaker 2: or two weekend Breakfast with me Googi film. More time

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Speaker 2: for us to talk what's happening in the arts, and

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Speaker 2: we start with a groundbreaking dance opera fusing dance, music

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Speaker 2: and poetry that's coming to the Joebi Theater. It's a

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Speaker 2: piece of work called Genesis. It is the work of

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Speaker 2: internationally acclaimed and revered South African choreographer Gregory Macorma. And

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Speaker 2: Gregory joins us on the line this morning. Gregory, A

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Speaker 2: very good morning to you. Good to have you back

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Speaker 2: on weekend Breakfast.

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Speaker 1: Good morning Cooks, and good morning to the listeners following

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Speaker 1: the pleasure.

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Speaker 2: Always great to have you. So we are talking about

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Speaker 2: your brand new work, your latest work. It is called Genesis.

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Speaker 2: Tell us about Genesis.

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Speaker 1: While Genesis emerged from a desire to create a work

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Speaker 1: that speaks to the fullness of human experience, it is

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Speaker 1: a desire to return or to seek liberation and inspired

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Speaker 1: by the writings of the revolutionary ideas of Stiff Beco

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Speaker 1: of France, pH Non of Amasses r and looking at

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Speaker 1: the current time in terms of the hierarchy that continues

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Speaker 1: to image, in terms of the leaders who are retaining

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Speaker 1: or creating a cycle of humanizing everything that we have

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Speaker 1: built in the past, you know, centuries.

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Speaker 2: And so you know, for you, where did this idea

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Speaker 2: come from? How did you start thinking through this kind

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Speaker 2: of idea for for genesis?

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Speaker 1: Well, Jenne, it's been. I mean, I've been struggling myself,

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Speaker 1: you know, I'm asking deeper questions about systems that that

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Speaker 1: created functures that we are experiencing, and of course drawing

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Speaker 1: from from from thinkers or on like like becre. The

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Speaker 1: work reflects on the psychological and spiritual consequences of oppression

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Speaker 1: that we continue to feel even today, but also on

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Speaker 1: the resilience of those who resist it. So it's been,

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Speaker 1: it's been a work that does not offer simple answers. Instead,

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Speaker 1: I think it invites audiences to confront the contradictions of

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Speaker 1: our time and to consider what kind of future we

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Speaker 1: are collectively creating.

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Speaker 2: And so the work is more than just about dance.

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Speaker 2: It also includes other types of art and creative work.

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Speaker 2: Tell us about this kind of multidisciplinary, this multi media

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Speaker 2: approach to this production.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and we call it a dance, a dance or

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Speaker 1: prop because it's the fusion of dance, music and poetry,

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Speaker 1: and each of these disciplines carry their own emotional language,

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Speaker 1: but when they meet, they created deeper resonance. So like

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Speaker 1: movement will allow the body to speak wherewids cannot, and

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Speaker 1: poetry frames these philosophical questions, and of course music carries

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Speaker 1: the emotional weight of the journey and the inquiry that

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Speaker 1: we are about to take.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, tell us as about some of the other collaborators.

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Speaker 2: I see the fashion costumes are you know, done by

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Speaker 2: one of our most beloved fashion houses. Tell us about

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Speaker 2: the set, the set design, the lightning design and some

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Speaker 2: of the people that were your collaborators on this production.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. In this production, I mean I have, you know,

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Speaker 1: collaborators that I've already done work with, so they understand

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Speaker 1: and master the work. But this is what was an

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Speaker 1: opportunity for us to take it to step better. So

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Speaker 1: I've invited Jacques fround the world from Black Coffee Fashion

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Speaker 1: House and working with Oliver Hauser on lighting, as well

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Speaker 1: as the set designed by Willie Seca who's based in France,

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Speaker 1: and libertist Kat who's an incredible writer also based based

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Speaker 1: in France of Indian origin, and she's created such an

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Speaker 1: amazing body of work in her own writing. And my

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Speaker 1: all time collaborator Chanel Winlock, who's incredible in terms of

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Speaker 1: analyzing the Movementamu also a regular collaborator in terms of

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Speaker 1: music composition and music direction, but also on on stage.

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Speaker 1: I've invited in Tragazi of course see who's an incredible

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Speaker 1: multi disciplinary player and musician, as well as Yogen Pelophone

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Speaker 1: and Analyzer. So all of these creatives really are bringing

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Speaker 1: in their a game to the to the production.

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Speaker 2: And so in terms of the performances, you've got an

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Speaker 2: incredible cast, a number of people who are part of

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Speaker 2: this production, but the viewer, the person coming to see

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Speaker 2: this production will not see you on stage. So telling

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Speaker 2: the story through your body, you are the architect, You've

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Speaker 2: kind of put this all together, but we will not

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Speaker 2: be seeing you on stage for this production.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you will not be seeing me on stage, but

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Speaker 1: you'll be seeing you know, my company Reny Donce Theater.

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Speaker 1: You know, with every new work, the dancers go beyond

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Speaker 1: what they think they are capable of, and Genesis demand

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Speaker 1: a great deal from them physically but also emotionally and

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Speaker 1: intellectually so that they performers, all of them, all are

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Speaker 1: stretched not to to their limits in executing choreography, but

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Speaker 1: also embodying these ideas about history, resistance and transformation. And yeah,

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Speaker 1: they it requires their vulnerability and deep commitment. And this

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Speaker 1: is what we're getting actually from Genesis. So audiences won't

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Speaker 1: miss me on stage and that I can that I

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Speaker 1: can assure.

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Speaker 2: And also this is your return to the Joburg Theater.

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Speaker 2: Tell us about that the Mandela stage at the Jobic Theater.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think you know, the Mandela stage is an

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Speaker 1: iconic space in its own and you know, returning to

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Speaker 1: a space where it's named after the Mandela itself, it's

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Speaker 1: a sense of you know, kind of like returning to

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Speaker 1: the ideas of the ideals of humanity of which the

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Speaker 1: men stood for and again to bring this kind of

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Speaker 1: work that touches on these ideals, I think it is humbling.

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Speaker 1: So I'm grateful to the collaboration and support of the

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Speaker 1: Jubet Theater ensuring that this work is presented in its

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Speaker 1: iconic space.

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Speaker 2: So how long is Genesis running for?

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Speaker 1: Four?

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Speaker 2: When does it open? How long is the run? And

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Speaker 2: where can we find tickets?

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Speaker 1: It's a very limited season, so we're opening on the

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Speaker 1: nineteenth of March and midlows on the twenty second. Tickets

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Speaker 1: are available via web tickets and i Edge all Joe Wiggers,

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Speaker 1: all South Africans to come and see this work. Lear's

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Speaker 1: congregate and hold hands together.

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Speaker 2: Gregory, thank you so much for giving us your time

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Speaker 2: this morning. It's always a wonderful pleasure chatting to you.

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Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you so much. That is internationally acclaimed choreographer.

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Speaker 2: He's also the founder of the Vianni Dance Company. Gregory

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Speaker 2: mccorma joining us this morning. His latest production, a groundbreaking

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Speaker 2: dance opera called Genesis, is coming to the Joebag Theater

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Speaker 2: from the nineteenth to the twenty second of March