I Hit the Ground Running, a first-time collaboration between Scenkonst Sörmland (Sweden) and the Baxter Theatre Centre, is a cutting-edge dance and music performance piece at the Baxter Flipside for one week only from 29 August to 7 September at 7.30pm nightly, with a matinee on 7 September at 2pm. Following its world premiere at the Baxter, I Hit the Ground Running will embark on a national tour of Sweden.
Is money the answer to everything? What happens to the individual in a bullish and volatile global economy?
The global economy and its effect on the individual come under the spotlight in this contemporary dance piece which has been developed over a year by the Baxter and Scenkost Sormland.
The best of Swedish and South African talent come together in this unique creative collaboration. Five dancers under the direction of South African choreographer Ananda Fuchs and five musicians playing music by Swedish composer Tebogo Monnakgotla will bring the power, terror and the complexity of economic growth to the stage in a ground-breaking, unique artistic explosion that promises to hit the ground running.
Through a process of research and development the artistic process began with a continuous dialogue between Fuchs and Monnakgotla as well as two reference groups from Cape Town and Eskilstuna, made up of unemployed young adults.
The five Cape Town dancers are Grant van Ster, Shaun Oelf, Andile Vellem, Bernice Valentine and Leilah Kirsten and the five Swedish musicians are Åsa Karlberg (flute), Johannes Thorell (saxophone), Camilla Arvidsson (violin), Hanna Dahlkvist (cello) and Jonny Axelsson (percussion). The musicians were carefully selected because they have extensive experience working with contemporary chamber music and also performing on stage in the dance, music theatre and theatre genres. Design for the production is by Marcel Meyer and lighting is by Benever Arendse.
“The echoing theme for me is the idea that the average citizen lives either on the periphery or the outside of the economic growth spiral,” explains choreographer Ananda Fuchs. “There seems to be a resounding sense of alienation from the mainstream or even the expectation in society of an upward spiral in order to attain success. With an ever-increasing financial pressure on human beings today, the emergence of a very fragile and often illusive sense of belonging seems to have been created. We hit the ground running until we cannot keep up any more – it is, quite simply, the human response to the economic monstrosity.”
Composer Tebogo had the following to say: “Through the music I wanted to musically capture the different impressions that came up during the workshops with the unemployed young adults from the two countries. It does not, nor is it intended to, present solutions to this complex challenge that we face. The sound images are merely a reflection of the emotions which came from these young people who shared their innermost feelings and thoughts on the subject of economic growth.”
WHERE & WHEN:
Baxter Flipside on 29 August and runs until 7 September at 7.30pm nightly, with a matinee on 7 September at 2pm.
TICKETS: R80 and booking is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000, or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet.
