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Exit/Exist
GREGORY MAQOMA/
VUYANI DANCE THEATRE
Exit/Exist
“ This is the
kind of performance that is
essential in
helping to
develop global
understaning.
With his body,
Maqoma is able
to take us to
these places
that we could
never visit on
our own. ”
- Seattle Examiner
U.S. Tour
Produced by
MAPP International
Productions
GREGORY
MAQOMA/
VUYANI
DANCE
THEATRE
In Exit/Exist, South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma reinvigorates
tradition to understand the complexities of our contemporary world.
As inspiration for this piece, Maqoma looks to his ancestral past: Chief
Maqoma, a 19th century warrior who fought to maintain Xhosa cultural
traditions of the Eastern Cape in the face of colonial dispossession. Maqoma
embodies this forgotten history in a transformational and poignant solo
performance that fuses storytelling with his own unparalleled contemporary
dance vocabulary and spirited live music. Through his signature integration
of traditional and contemporary dance, Maqoma invites audiences to reflect
on who we are, where we come from, and how all of these facets, past and
present, inform our personal and collective identities today.
Maqoma is joined on stage by four exceptional singers (South African
ensemble Complete, whose performance credentials include touring with
Hugh Masekela) and world-fusion guitarist Giuliano Modarelli, performing
a lush score by Simphiwe Dana, the acclaimed singer and composer from
Maqoma’s native province of the Eastern Cape. As supporting characters in
the narrative, the entire cast is interwoven into Maqoma’s vibrantly kinetic
world, creating rich visual scenes which punctuate his abstract exploration
of race and political power, cultural tradition and personal legacy.
Run time: approximately 60 minutes, no intermission
For more information, Michelle Coe, Director of Booking
646.602.9390, [email protected]
GREGORY
VUYANI
MAQOMA
Born in Soweto, October 16 of 1973, Gregory Vuyani Maqoma became interested in dance in the late
1980’s as a means to escape the political tensions growing in his place of birth. He started his formal
dance training in 1990 at Moving Into Dance where in 2002 he became the Associate Artistic Director.
Maqoma has established himself as an internationally renowned dancer, choreographer, teacher, director
and scriptwriter. He founded Vuyani Dance Theatre (VDT) in 1999 when he was undertaking a
scholarship at the Performing Arts Research and Training School (PARTS) in Belgium under the direction
of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker.
Maqoma is respected for his collaborations with artists of his generation. In 2006 he worked with the
British-based choreographer Akram Khan and the London Symphonietta to the music of Steve Reich
Variations for vibes, pianos & strings. He also created Neon Flight for the South African Ballet Theatre,
which premiered in Russia in June 2006.
He began his ongoing collaboration with theatre director James Ngcobo in 2008 with The Lion and the
Jewel’ and Zakes Mda’s The Hill. In 2009 Maqoma collaborated with Ngcobo on Crazy for Jazz and
Thirst. His collaboration with James Ngcobo continued on the adaptation of Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys produced by Theatre on the Square.
In 2009 for the opening ceremony of the 4th World Summit of Arts & Culture, in Braamfontein he cocreated 3 Colours with Cape Town theatre maker Brett Bailey; in 2010 he was head choreographer for the
FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Concert held in Soweto. That year he choreographed the now internationally
acclaimed Hugh Masekela project Songs of Migration produced by the Market Theatre, directed by James
Ngcobo. Returning to The Market Theatre in 2011 he collaborated with Ngcobo yet again on their
version of Sunjata. In 2011 he won the Dance Manyano Choreographer of A Decade Dance Award. In
2012 Maqoma, with Ngcobo, was part of the creative team behind the ANC Centenary Celebration, Dance
and Theatre Musical, Tshihumbudzo’ staged in Bloemfontein.
Maqoma is perhaps best known for producing trilogies. He first created the award winning Rhythm
Trilogy (comprising Rhythm 1 2 3, Rhythm Blues and Rhythm Colour) followed by respectively the Beauty
Trilogy - Beautiful, Beautiful Me and Beautiful Us. Beautiful (a duet with Shanell Winlock) premiered in
South African in a VDT/ Moving into Dance Joint Season that took place at the Dance Factory from June
22 to 25 in 2005. After finalizing his extensive research on Beautiful Me, Maqoma took up residency at the
Centre Nationale de la Danse, Pantin, outside Paris to prepare the South African premiere at the 2007 FNB
Dance Umbrella. In 2006 and 2007 Maqoma won the Gauteng MEC Award for the group work Beautiful
Us and solo Beautiful Me, respectively.
Maqoma’s Skeleton Dry, a work with an original score exploring the liminality of human existence, the
space between flesh and bone, was commissioned for the 2009 FNB Dance Umbrella, supported by the
National Arts Council. Continuing his exploration of the human condition and our relationship to the earth
Maqoma created Four Seasons in 2010 again with original music played live. This work articulated
Maqoma’s view on the moral degeneration of the human race and the detrimental effect it has on the
world and dynamic Mother Earth.
In Exit Exist (2011), collaboration with fashion designer David Tlale, singer composer Simphiwe Dana,
male a capella quartet Complete and James Ngcobo, through choreography and ritualistic performance
Maqoma explores his historical roots by examining the life and fate of his ancestor Jongum-sobomvu
Maqoma, the famous Xhosa chief. Chief Maqoma born in 1798 was arrested while requesting the
liberation of Xhosa territories from the English colonists, imprisoned on Robben Island and was buried
there in 1873. This master work will make a return tour in the United States in June 2014.
Maqoma was Associate Artistic director of Moving Into Dance Mophatong 2002 - 2007 and for the FNB
Dance Umbrella Festival 2010. He was Artistic Director of the Afro-Vibes Festival in the Netherlands and
the UK from 2004 - 2010. Since 2011 Maqoma has served on the dance committee of the National Arts
Festival. He teaches at various universities in Africa, USA and Europe including, University of California
(UCLA), Bates College (USA), Bennington College (USA). He has created repertoire for Moving into
Dance, Jazzart Contemporary Dance Theatre, South African Ballet Theatre and Cape Academy of
Performing Arts, amongst others.
Several works in his VDT repertoire have won him accolades and international acclaim. This includes
FNB Vita Choreographer of the Year in 1999, 2001 and 2002 for Rhythm 1.2.3, Rhythm Blues and
Southern Comfort respectively. He received the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance in 2002.
Maqoma was a finalist in the Daimler Chrysler Choreography Award in 2002 and in the Rolex Mentorship
Programme in 2003. He is the recipient of the 2012 Tunkie Award for Leadership in Dance, which is
presented annually to a South African who has elevated the standard and visibility of dance in South
Africa.
EXIT/EXIST COLLABORATORS
& PERFORMERS
James Ngcobo
(Director)
James Ngcobo is stage, television and film actor best known for his roles as editor Joe Dlamini on the South
African drama series Hard Copy (2005), and as Mojo Khumalo on the South African sitcom Stokvel, from 20032008 and 2010. Ngcobo has appeared at London’s Young Vic in The Revolution, toured the United States in The
Horn of Sorrow, toured Britain in The Cherry Orchard, and performed in Sizwe Banzi is Dead at Britain’s
Festival Hall. He trained with Kwa-Zulu Natal’s Loft Theatre Company appearing in such productions as La
Ronde, Mujaji, Horn of Sorrow and Jesus Christ Superstar. As a director he has become known for adaptations:
Es’kia Mphahlele’s The Suitcase; Fred Khumalo’s autobiography, Touch My Blood; Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and
the Jewel; and Thirst, which saw Pelen Baldini’s The Water Carriers transposed into an African setting. In 2007,
Ngcobo won Best Director for The Suitcase at the Naledi Theatre Awards. In 2011, he turned his attention to the
myth of the warrior king, Sunjata, who, legend has it, founded the Malian empire in the 13th century — the land
of Timbuktu, the spiritual and intellectual capital of Africa.
Simphiwe Dana
(Songwriter)
Simphiwe Dana is one of South Africa’s most soulful singers, renowned around the world and adored for her
impressive vocal prowess. As an award-winning singer whose albums have ascended to the top of
international charts, and her music captures the hearts of those listening to it. Her third album, Kulture Noir
(2010), has received two METRO FM Music Awards 2010 for Best Female and Best Contemporary Jazz
Album, and also claimed the No. 1 spot on the German World Music Charts and the number 3 spot on the
European Music Charts.
Giuliano Modarelli
(Composer/Musician)
Originally from Italy, Giuliano Modarelli is stylistically unique guitarist. During his musical training he
explored many different genres of music from Western Classical to Trip Hop, Klezmer to Heavy Rock. After
studying Jazz at University, he went on study under UK renowned sitarist Dharambir Singh and Indian
classical maestro Buddhadev Dasgupta. His style is a subtle blend of World Folk, Arabic, Flamenco, Latin and
Eastern European. His breadth of knowledge and soulful improvisation have led to awards and scholarships from
the Arts Council England, SAA-UK, Sampad, Milapfest and others, enabling him to work with and learn from
some of the world’s most respected Indian Classical musicians such as L. Subramanian, J. Bose and Pt Ajoy
Chakraborty. In addition to being a solo artist, Giuliano is also a core member of UK based band Samay, which
combines traditional forms with a range of contemporary influences to reinvent the sound of Indian Classical
Music, blending Jazz, Flamenco, Samba, Funk and Chill Out to create both powerful and dynamic arrangements.
As part of the international project Sunev featuring Grammy Award winning tabla star Bikram Ghosh (Rhythm
Scape), Giuliano collaborated with Bikram to write and perform for the soundtrack of the Mira Nair film, Little
Zizou (2008). He is also featured on the soundtrack of the latest Sangeeta Datta Film Life Goes On. Giuliano
writes for theatre and dance, touring nationally and internationally with companies such as: Balbir Singh Dance
Company, Motion Manual, Diversity Dance, Red Ladder Theatre and Phoenix Dance Theatre. He has also developed various music projects in the UK (such as Klezmer Trip with Bill Laurence, My Journey with Manvir Singh,
Nshwa, Raga Nova) and performs regularly in prestigious venues throughout the country (Queen Elizabeth Hall,
The Barbican, The Purcell Room, Bridgewater Hall, CBSO, BBC Venue/Radio) as well as at Darbar Festival,
Music Port, Bestival, Womex, and Jazz and World Music festivals throughout the UK and abroad. Giuliano regularly works and trains in India where he tours with many outstanding artists such as Bickram Ghosh, Paban Das
Baul, Pete Lockett, Purbayann Chatterjee, Sandip Chatterjee. These collaborations have allowed him to explore
many different styles of South-Asian music including Bengali Folk, Rajastany Folk, Gazals, Thumri, Kayal,
deepening his awareness of world music and continuing his journey into innovative and eclectic excellence.
singers
Tobela Mpela
Mpela is a singer and actor, native to Umtata (South Africa), who first moved to Johannesburg when he was a
young boy. He trained for two years at Phakalani Music Industry Institute studying studio production, song
writing and vocal training under noted bass guitarist Victor Masondo. In 2002 Mpela was cast as lead singer on
the television series Soul City 5. A year later, he joined Umoja as lead singer with whom he travelled to Australia,
Denmark, the United States, France, Israel, New Zealand, China, Jamaica and Barbados. In 2007 Mpela joined
African Footprints as a singer, touring throughout Mexico. As an actor, Mpela received a best acting award for his
appearance in the short film My Husband and Boy Friend. He also appeared in the National Children’s
Theatre productions of The Wizard of Oz (2008) and African Tapistry (2010). Mpela continues to act and sing on
several television and musical productions on the continent.
Siphiwe “Sip” Nkabinde
Born in Bergville, South Africa, Nkabinde showed artistic abilities from a young age, singing Acapella
(Isicathamiya) and in his local school choir as a boy. Studying Pansula and Latin American dance prior to
returning to his roots in Zulu Traditional dance, Nkabinde has since grown up to become a passionate artist adept
in song-writing, singing, dancing, acting and piano. In 2001, he joined the cast of Umoja and toured the world for
almost nine years, until his departure when he decided to focus more on music. In 2009, he joined the Afro-Pop
group Fohloza as a backup singer and also began working as a session musician at SLAM Production Studio,
recording music for radio and television. In 2011 Nkabinde got a chance to work with Themba Mkhize on
musicals Kwela Bafana and iLembe. While acting and performing with several ensembles and theatre companies,
Nkabinde continues to focus on his solo career to remain grounded spiritually and mentally.
Xolisile Bongwana
Bongwana’s dance career began in 1999. In 2005 Bongwana joined Uphondo Lwe Africa as a singer and dancer
and toured throughout the UK. He joined Dodgy Clutch Production in 2008 and appeared in the UK, US and
Spanish tour of Elephant. In 2011 Bongwana performed as a singer and dancer in Robyn Orlin’s Walking Next
to Our Shoes, which was presented across the United States, Switzerland and France. He joined Vuyani Dance
Theatre as a dancer and singer in 2011.
Timothy Moloi
After completing his studies at Wesleyan University, Moloi returned to South Africa in 1999. He has performed
with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, the East Cape Philharmonic, the Electric Pops Orchestra, the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra
and the Soweto Gospel Choir. He performed during the FIFA 2010 World Cup opening ceremony and several
televised music and acting performances including MTN South African Music Awards, SABC3 JoBurg Pops, Afro
Café, Spirit Sundae and Top Billing, to name a few. His 2009 Love That Music album (released by Thatch Music) received two MTN South African Music Awards nominations. Moloi has appeared in several South African
stage productions including Motown Gold (Lyric Theatre), Coming Home (Baxter Theatre), Bring on Broadway
(Artscape Opera Theatre), and more. Several career highlights include performances for President Nelson
Mandela, Graca Machel, King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. He has also been
featured on Africa Peace Awards, Oprah Winfrey’s Live Your Best Life event, the Aardklop National Arts
Festival,the RMB Starlight Classics and the FNB Starlight Pop Opera.
TOUR HISTORY &
UPCOMING SHOWS
UPCOMING - Exit/Exist
June 5 - June 8, 2014
Spoleto Dance Festival
Charleston, SC
June 14 - June 16, 2014
American Dance Festival Durham, NC
FALL 2013 - Exit/Exist
Oct 17 - Oct 20, 2013
Atlas Performing Arts CenterWashington, DC
Oct 24 - Oct 27, 2013
Seattle Theatre Group/On the Boards
Seattle, WA
Nov 1 - Nov 2, 2013
651Arts
Brooklyn, NY
Nov 7 - Nov 9, 2013
REDCAT Los Angeles, CA
U.S. Debut Tour - Beautiful Me
Oct 12 - Oct 16, 2009
Bates College
Lewiston, ME
Oct 21 - Oct 25, 2009REDCATLos Angeles, CA
Oct 28 - Oct 31, 2009VSA/North Fourth Art CenterAlbuquerque, NM
Nov 3 - Nov 7, 2009
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
San Francisco, CA
Nov 10 - Nov 14, 2009
Seattle Theatre Group/ACT Theater
Seattle, WA
Nov 16 - Nov 21, 2009
Miami Dade College
Miami, FL
**please see mappinternational.org for schedule updates**
PRESS
QUOTES
“Exit/Exist...reaches new levels of integrated, polished and evocative theatre dance” - ArtsLink South Africa
“Maqoma’s telling consists of dancing that mixes tradition into a stew of contemporary movement and theatricality. More than that, it is powered by the masterful, endlessley inventive musicality of Maqoma’s dancing
- his exact touch - and the charisma of this natural-born star.” - Infinite Body
“Maqoma is a truly global dancer thinker. He brings to his work the multiple influences from his early street
dance and traditional African dance experiences, a highly stylized sense of theatrical space, and the theatrical
savvy of someone who has seen a lot and absorbed more.” - Danceviewtimes
“Maqoma has proved to transcend generations when it comes to captivating audiences.” - City Press
“I expected dance. What I got was a combination of powerful, expressive vocals and acoustic instrumentals
underpinning dynamic, evocative dance. Maqoma’s dance is a delicate and nuanced expression of power. This
was a performance for the eyes, ears, heart and spirit.” - Audience member (Seattle, WA)
“Exit/Exist was thoroughly hypnotic - thanks not only to Maqoma’s virtuosity, but also the gorgeous harmonies and anguished lamentations of the four-man South African vocal ensemble. Exit/Exist was something rare
and indelible: an offering of transcendent power, inducing a collective trance that leads into greater historical
understanding,” - Seattle Times
“From within a whirlwind of cultural resources and history, Maqoma and his musicians create an intimate and
heartfelt performance that educates and all but embraces its audience.” - CultureSpotLA
“What distinguishes Maqoma... is his intelligently provocative exploration of kinetic African identity where
the rural impinges on the urban, where the hallowed intersects with the popular.” - The Starr, Johannesburg
The North American tour of Exit/Exist is a produced by
MAPP International Productions in partnership with
The Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium
Exit/Exist is co-produced by Vuyani Dance Theatre, Dance Umbrella (Johannesburg, South Africa), Theatre de la Ville
(Paris, France) and Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg KVS/Royal Flemish Theatre (Brussels, Belgium). The U.S. tour of Exit/
Exist is supported by the National Dance Project of New England Foundation for the Arts (with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and additional funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Community
Connections Fund of the MetLife Foundation, and the Boeing Company Charitable Trust).
About MAPP International
MAPP International Productions is a nonprofit producing and touring organization dedicated to engaging
audiences through contemporary performing arts projects and artistic experiences that offer fresh
interpretations of social issues and forge connections between the artist and the community. Established in
1994 by Ann Rosenthal, and co-directed with Cathy Zimmerman since 1998, MAPP International is recognized
for producing nontraditional artists who tackle complex subject matter, experiment with form and push the
cultural conversation forward in society. Since its founding, MAPP International has produced 33 productions
involving more than 300 artists in 42 U.S. states and 16 countries. MAPP International has also introduced the
U.S. public to artists from 25 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Caribbean. Current programs
include New Works, Artist-Public Dialogues, MAPP on Tour, The America Project and The Africa
Contemporary Arts Consortium. The common goal of these programs is to promote artistic and community
engagement, and the exchange of ideas on a local, national and international stage.
Board of Directors
Lisa Yancey, Chair
Senior Arts Consultant, Yancey Arts Consultant
Staff
Ann Rosenthal
Executive Director & Producer
David Gibson, Co-chair
Principal, TWO TWELVE, Inc.
Cathy Zimmerman
Co-Director & Producer
Candace Jackson, Secretary
Principal, CJAM Consulting
Joyce Lawler
Director of Development
Paul Cillo, Treasurer
President & Executive Director, Public Assets Institute
Olivia Georgia
Executive Director, Mary Miss Studio
Martin Bournhonesque
Owner, Martin’s Farm
Ann Rosenthal
Michelle Coe
Director of Booking
Rasu Jilani
Director of Community Programs
Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera
Administrative Manager
Jonathan Kitt
Development Assistant
140 Second Ave, Suite 502
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"Maqoma is a truly global dancer
thinker. He brings to his work
the multiple influences from his
early street dance and
traditional African dance
experiences, a highly stylized
sense of theatrical space, and
the theatrical savvy of someone
who has seen a lot and absorbed
more.”
- Danceviewtimes