REVIEW: Beyond Borders - Afro Dance Xplosion by Feel the Rhythm Productions at The Place 8 – 10 November 2024

‘rooted in powerful contact with the earth, each step serves to connect’ ★★★★

I would say a key characteristic of African dance lies in its ritualism. While Western dance replicates idealised world for the audience to see, African dance serves for their ancestors, nature, and the community. Dance here is a ritual, an offering to larger forces, the invisible. This may explain why the feet are so integral in African dance—rooted in powerful contact with the earth, each step serves to connect, not to soar.

Beyond Borders, performed at The Place, opened with powerful percussion, a rhythmic call that felt almost out of place in the proscenium setting of The Place, a theatre oriented towards Western-European ideals. Yet, this conventional setting was transformed as the dancers began to emerge from all corners—from the back of the auditorium, the wings, and the entrances, forming a circle that embraced both the stage and the audience. It was a powerful invitation to experience together, breaking down the boundary between watcher and participant.

The performance was a vibrant showcase of African dance forms, each unique and deeply rooted in its cultural heritage. The first piece, ‘Mutuba’, choreographed and performed by Antonio Bukhar Ssebuuma from Uganda, showcased a powerful mastery of the body, deeply grounded and earthy. ‘Resilience’ followed, choreographed by Nahum McLean, featuring young dancers in flowing blue skirts moving with a light, feathery quality. ‘Your Limbs’, a film, honoured the legacy of Kariamu Welsh and her contributions to contemporary African dance, beautifully celebrating the cultural heritage of the African diaspora.

The program’s diversity continued with ‘Rush’, a piece that almost feels like a scene from a dance musical, created by second and third-generation diaspora artists, Kurtyswift and Unkle TC, offering a fresh, modern energy. The show also featured ‘Bigger’, choreographed by Nathan Neo Gordon, with its vibrant Caribbean hues, and ‘Mario’ by Chantal Loïal, which incorporated Congolese rumba and dance traditions from the West Indies—pieces that honoured their cultural roots while celebrating transformation and adaptation.

The show closed with ‘Resilience of Melody’, a striking piece with complex percussion but ironically, no melody. Here, the dancers themselves became the music, filling the space with movement and breath, as if the sound arose directly from their bodies in sync with the beat. 

Beyond Borders was more than a performance; it was a celebration of African and diaspora cultures, an evolving and thriving tradition in this land. From traditional forms to Afro-fusion, this weekend event at The Place honoured the dynamic, enduring spirit of African dance.

FEEL THE RHYTHEM PRODUCTIONS https://feeltherhythmproductions.com/