About Us
52-Year-old Jazzart Dance Theatre is South Africa’s oldest contemporary dance company and it is recognised for its powerful influence on the development of dance in the country. Its prodigious creative and critical output allows the company to use dance as a transformative tool to fully interrogate social awareness and foster cultural inclusiveness.
Jazzart’s objectives are achieved through an approach of ‘Educate, Collaborate and Create’. Each step builds on the raw talent and growth of each dancer and develops them into well rounded, educated, economically active and culturally engaged artists.
The company runs a three-year, full-time training programme that is offered to talented young adults who wish to follow a career in dance. The training program seamlessly integrates a strong technique with a uniquely South African dance philosophy deeply rooted in the country’s diverse cultural tapestry.
Graduates who demonstrate exceptional performance talent are integrated into the professional dance company following the completion of the three-year training period. They assume full-time positions and are afforded the opportunity to represent Jazzart in productions and national/international festival tours. Additionally, graduates excelling in areas such as choreography or teaching receive support to nurture their creative practice or contribute to the company’s capacity to implement the training and outreach programs.
Jazzart’s outreach program extends to children and youth, providing them with exposure to the arts, exploring creative movement, nurturing their artistic potential, and strengthening their confidence and choices about their bodies. The program also imparts essential life skills, including teamwork, discipline, perseverance and determination, fostering a sense of self-esteem, character, and identity. Jazzart is based at Artscape in Cape Town.
History
Sonja Mayo established Jazzart as a studio specialising in modern jazz dance in 1973. Three years later, a small, professional dance ensemble emerged from this studio, named the Sue Parker Jazzart Contemporary Dance Company. In 1982, the studio ensemble was transferred to Val Steyn and renamed Jazzart Contemporary Dance Company.
In 1986, Alfred Hinkel acquired the company, and with Dawn Langdown, John Linden, and Jay Pather, it underwent a name change to Jazzart Dance Theatre. During an era when professional dance theatre was predominantly the exclusive domain of the ruling white elite, Alfred Hinkel established a teaching and performance ethos firmly rooted in the progressive ideological principles of the South African anti-apartheid struggle.
In 1992, after two decades as a privately funded company, Jazzart became an in-house contemporary dance company for the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB). Since 1994, with the commencement of South Africa’s new democracy, Jazzart has been housed at the Artscape Theatre Centre, which continues to provide essential technical and logistical support, which has been instrumental in its survival.
Today, Jazzart Dance Theatre holds a significant position in South African performing arts, mirroring its significance during the time when it made a conscious decision to reject oppressive racial policies. The company remains dedicated to training young dancers for the professional stage and careers in the arts, performing repertoire works, and creating new pieces that reflect contemporary realities.
Jackie Manyaapelo became the inaugural Black female Artistic Director of the company in 2010. Subsequently, Sifiso Kweyama was appointed as Artistic Director until 2019. Both individuals are products of Jazzart, which was led by Alfred Hinkel. In 2022, Dane Hurst, assumed the position until February 2024.
Jazzart continues to occupy an important space in shaping a South African-Contemporary dance aesthetic. This aesthetic draws inspiration from our historic and cultural past, interprets and engages with our African present in all its diversity and complexity, to shape, influence and positively impact our African future.