UJ Arts 2013 Dance Auditions

Описание: The first UJ Arts & Culture production for 2013 entitled "Desdemona" explores themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal through dance.

Taking its cue from the University of Johannesburg's hugely successful "Rethink, Reinvent" brand campaign, UJ Arts & Culture has announced that it will present a season of productions from the classical cannon but remixed and revisited for our times. Performing Arts Manager, Grace Meadows, announced that the first of these is a commissioned dance production entitled "Desdemona" in which Shakespeare's "Othello" will be reimagined through dance from the principal female character's perspective.

Owen Lonzar has been commissioned to choreograph and Nik Sakellarides has been commissioned to do the music. Desdemona is the daughter of a Venetian aristocrat who elopes with the military hero Othello, a man several years her senior, disappointing and enraging her father, and arousing the resentment of Othello's envious underling Iago, who knows Othello's weaknesses. "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice" is based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" ("A Moorish Captain").

The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, a general in the Venetian army, his wife, Desdemona, his lieutenant, Cassio and Iago, his trusted ensign. "Interpreting Shakespeare through dance is a huge challenge which I look forward to tackling," says Lonzar. He adds that, "While many ballet and contemporary dance companies have created dance works based on classical plays, what will make this production unique and compelling is that the piece will be a deconstruction & interpretation from Desdemona's perspective using a hybrid of modern and accessible forms of dance."

This has become Lonzar's trademark in choreographing for UJ Arts & Culture. Lonzar has a strong dance background with his first professional assignment as a dancer taking place at the tender age of fourteen. He trained in jazz, tap and funk with The Imperial Society of Dance Teachers London. Following his dream, Lonzar has spent the last 15 years establishing himself as a choreographer. "The change in the point of view and point of departure will rearticulate Shakespeare's original story to comment on a very topical issue of violence against women in a way that I hope will engage and speak to young people," Lonzar explains. Without giving away too much he goes on to say that he is toying with the idea of locating the production in a high school or university setting which will inform production design choices such as costumes and music choice.

Other productions in UJ Arts & Culture's season of "Classics Remixed & Revisited" include "Equus" by Peter Shaffer, "Romeo 'n' Juliet Unplugged" by Robin Malan and "I think it's Hamlet" presented by The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative and choreographed by PJ Sabbagha.

"Desdemona" is a UJ Arts & Culture student production running in the UJ Arts Centre Theatre on the Kingsway Campus from 12 April to 20 April 2013. Full-price tickets are R80.00, discounted tickets for students and pensioners are R50.00 and block-bookings of 10 or more qualify for a 50% discount at only R40 each. Book at Computicket. For group bookings e-mail [email protected] or call 011 559 3058.