Choreographer tackles abuse through dance
A Bellville choreographer is using a group dance performance, filmed in Kraaifontein last weekend, to speak out against abuse.
The Godance group - with dancers from Kuils River, Parow, Scottsdene, Delft, Worcester and Garden Village - was founded in 2016 and uses dance to promote wellness, according to the group’s leader, choreographer Simone Momple.
“Our #SaviorGBV2022 Project is an impact gender-based-violence campaign to raise awareness of the staggering GBV rates in South Africa,” said Ms Momple, adding that she hoped the dance music video would be a “cathartic and creative process for those involved and those watching”.
She had been inspired to choose abuse as a theme for the performance after watching Dorpie, a documentary dealing with rape and femicide in Bredasdorp.
“This movie sat with me for a while. It showed that in this small town so many women were affected by GBV within a short space of time and were not getting the help they needed.
“I also thought about people I may or may not know who experienced GBV but are just carrying on with their lives. So I felt there needs to be a space where people can find a process of catharsis to get rid of the pent-up emotions and anxieties we have around the issue.
“Very often we feel helpless around issues of GBV. Additionally, we never know who has experienced any form of this violence. We hope for this project to initiate an ongoing dialogue around how the creative arts can act as a framework for countering the issue of GBV.”
Ms Momple was assisted with the dance choreography for the video by dancer, Ashton Syster.
The video will be released on YouTube on Friday.
For more information, contact Simone Momple at 076 186 7937 or email at simonemomple@godance.co.za.
