DURBAN ARTS NEWS
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DURBAN ARTS NEWS |
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ISICATHAMIYA NIGHTS Every Saturday isicathamiya workshops are held at the YMCA Hostel in Beatrice Street, the KwaMehlamnyama Hostel in Point Road, the Stable Theatre and at the Kranzkloof `KK' Hostel at KwaDabeka in Clermont. The competitions continue through the night from 21h00 until early morning - sometimes finishing at 06h00. Groups come from all over the province, most of them regularly, and there are never less than 15 groups competing at each isicathamiya venue on any one night. Each group averages about 18 members which can mean upwards of 270 performers at one venue. With sponsorship from the Durban Arts Association, festivals take place every month at one of the venues. UNIFORMS Uniforms are very important in isicathamiya as the performers must be dressed identically. In the old days they were known as `jazi bhantshi' because of the ill-fitting coats most of them wore. Standard gear consists of shirts, bowties and trousers with stripes down the side, copying the uniforms of the British soldiers. A black and white colour scheme is very popular as it matches the keys of the piano or organ. STYLE With so many isicathamiya groups opera-ting, it is important to create one's own style. And it is incorrect for a group to sing another's song. They must write their own or else take another song and add something to it. Movement, dictated by the words of the song, must be in unison and involves the legs and the hands. While footwork is light - the original isicathamiya performers had to practise at night in hostels and not wake their colleagues - the correct footwear is shoes and not takkies. Loosely translated `isicathamiya' means to move like a cat" and is well defined as `Food for the ears and food for the eyes'. |
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PLAYHOUSE ON LINECalling all web-browsers, you can now find out what's on at the Playhouse as the Playhouse Company's monthly maga-zine, The Playhouse News, is on-line at web site http://kzn.co.za/Playhouse/.It is therefore possible to visit the theatre complex's site for weekly updates of What's On. The e-mail address for up-to-the-minute information is 100075.2027@compuserve.com. |
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ARTFESTEvents scheduled so far for the July Artfest period include the screening of African Mirror newsreels, a weekend Betacam video workshop and 16mm film courses for 40 students interested in television broadcasting.These will be presented by Visual Voice Film Projects. Details can be obtained from Mikhail Peppas on 083 750-1744. Also planned is the one-man show Utopia by Jayson L Fiddler, described as virtual fantasy entertainment. |
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The Durban Arts Festival of Drama, Music and Dancefor primary and secon-dary schools will be produced by Kessie Govender from July 5 to 6 in the Play-house Sanlam Loft. Details on 29-1617.Durban Arts, in association with other arts bodies, is assembling a "flyer". If you want your event included, contact Lindi at Durban Arts. Telephone 23-12360 or fax 23-2073. INFOMAP Also to have your special event featured on the Artfest Infomap, contact arts and culture at Tourism Durban, phone 304-4934, fax 304-6196. E-mail funinsun@iafrica.com |
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