Hatched Ensemble (South Africa)

In its US premiere, Hatched Ensemble is an autobiographical work reflecting on South African choreographer Mamela Nyamza’s life as a mother, lesbian and artist. Nyamza’s earlier work, Hatched (2008) launched her artistic signature of unapologetically demystifying, deconstructing, and trampling on the norms and standards of the classics.

In Hatched Ensemble, the work is extended to include nine classically-trained ballet dancers from different ethnic backgrounds. The dancers confront the deeply personal and challenging issues of tradition, sexual evolution, and racial and gender norms within the dance classics. Says Nyamza, “Hatched Ensemble speaks to anyone who has felt conflicted about their own identity and where they belong in the status quo.”

Accompanied by an opera singer and a traditional African multi-instrumentalist, the piece juxtaposes disparate movement vocabularies, referencing traditional African vocal scores, classical Western music, ballet, and beyond.

With subtle gestures and enormous sensitivity, Hatched Ensemble opens up a whole universe, one that dance history would never have suspected to exist, overflowing with urgency and subtle virtuosity.

“Panoramic, poetic and visually arresting work…her work is imbued with delicacy, scope and a strong authentic intelligence” (The Times, London)