KIMBERLEY – Around 100 dancers will take to the stage at the Northern Cape Theatre in Kimberley for the 11th Dance Pages Festival, the province’s premier dance event.
The festival, running from Wednesday, 22 October, to Saturday, 25 October, provides a platform for dancers and choreographers aged six to 36 years. Performers from across the Northern Cape, including Okiep, will showcase their talents, with additional productions from the North West, Gauteng, Free State, and Namibia.
The festival will feature diverse dance styles including contemporary, classical, Pantsula, hip-hop, cultural dances, and ballroom.
Established more than a decade ago, the festival was created by the Mayibuye Dance Academy (MDA) in Galeshewe for the Northern Cape Arts Council Commission.
According to organisers, the festival aims to develop professional dance performance in the province, provide arts management workshops to improve dancers’ skills, and create employment opportunities for young choreographers, directors, costume designers, and producers.
The programme also facilitates inter-provincial, national and international exchange programmes, technical skill transfers, and school outreach initiatives.
Dance Pages has established itself as the only free dance platform for young professionals and artists in the region. To date, it has impacted 40 arts organisations, 48 schools, eight communities and 35 small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
Through MDA, several dancers have received national awards and opportunities to participate in national productions and championships.
- To ensure accessibility, most performances are free of charge.
- The main show on Saturday at 13:00 carries an entrance fee of R50 per person, featuring both professional and emerging dancers.
- The Dance Pages and Mayibuye Dance Academy Facebook pages offer information about the festival programme.
Helena Barnard
novanews.co.za
