Hatched Ensemble
Mamela Nyamza
© Hatched Ensemble - Mamela Nyamza
In 2024, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels is supporting the presentation of Hatched Ensemble by Mamela Nyamza.
In 2007, Mamela Nyamza made a name for herself with a moving, no-holds-barred solo. Overtly autobiographical, Hatched tackles questions of the evolving identities and sexualities of a femme de scène, spotlighting one of the most singular artists on the South African dance scene. Hatched Ensemble offers a take on the subject of the political body, bringing together ten classically-trained dancers, the opera singer Litho Nqai, and the African traditional musician Azah. In a frenetic and joyous movement of liberation, the music conjures corseted stories from these bodies, forged by Western classical dance, celebrating the rite of a new spring.
About the artist
Mamela Nyamza
The South African choreographer Mamela Nyamza, trained in ballet at Tshwane University of Technology (formerly Pretoria Dance Technikon) and at New York’s The Ailey School (formerly Alvin Ailey American Dance Center), deconstructs and challenges the norms of dance. Her trailblazing works, such as "The Dying Swan" in 1998 and "The Meal" in 2012, defy classical traditions. She has received numerous honors for her work, such as being chosen as the Featured Artist of the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2018 and named the Legacy Artist of the JOMBA! Dance Festival in 2023. To realize her mission – transforming dance into a means of education about social issues – she founded the HATCHED ENSEMBLE and established a non-profit organization, MAMELAS ARTISTIC MOVEMENT.
