The first release of our #DiscoverTavaziva series is Umdhlalo kaSisi is ready to watch NOW!

Inspired by the untimely death of his sister, Umdlalo kaSisi is Bawren’s heartfelt narrative of love and loss, strength of community, and a celebration of her life. Bawren presented this work as a finalist at The Place Prize, shortly before forming Tavaziva Dance. Created in 2004, restaged in 2014, rediscovered in 2020. The films are accompanied by commentary from Bawren Tavaziva providing a context to each of the works.

‘Impressively large, too, is Bawren Tavaziva’s Umdlalo Kasisi whose rich fluid structures build seamlessly to evoke currents of love and loss.’ Judith Mackrell, The Guardian

SUBSCRIBE to Tavaziva Dance Official YouTube channel for more online classes, trailers, extracts of productions and behind the scenes short films!

We are excited to launch our new online programme #DiscoverTavaziva.

It includes TavTorials, a series of online Intermediate classes led by Artistic Director Bawren Tavaziva, film, footage and interviews. We rediscover and talk about works from our archives, and start new conversations with artists. Everything is FREE of charge for you to access.

Look out for unseen footage from our studio rehearsals, productions and digital explorations with Notch software technology, a programme we have been using for our next show.

To kick-start the #DiscoverTavaziva series, we screen extracts from some of our most acclaimed productions, starting with Bawren Tavaziva’s Umdhlalo kaSisi (Dance for my Sister), created in 2004. The films are accompanied by commentary from Bawren Tavaziva providing a context to each of the works.

While everyone is staying at home because of Covid-19, we want to reach out to you and inspire you to move! Bawren has created 3 different TavTorial classes so you can work on your technique, learn the basics of African and Contemporary dance and his unique fusion.

Keep an eye on our social media platforms and website to find weekly schedules of releases and the links to all the new content we have prepared. Available on our YouTube channel so go and check that out!

Come with us and #DiscoverTavaziva

 

Schedule

Friday 15 May – Umdhlalo kaSisi, 5 mins

Tuesday 19 May – Tavtorial with Bawren Tavaziva (Intermediate Warm Up), 40 mins

Friday 22 May – Mandla, 5 mins

Tuesday 26 May – Tavtorial with Bawren Tavaziva (African), 40 mins

Friday 29 May – Double Take, 5 mins

Tuesday 2 June – Tavtorial with Bawren Tavaziva (Contemporary and African Fusion), 40 mins

Friday 5 June – Chivezwa, 7 mins

The Tavaziva Team just wanted to reach out to you during these worrying and challenging times to say hello and to keep connected. As we continue to experience lock-down together, it’s even more important now to stay positive, support each other and be reassured that an end to the restrictions will come and our freedom will return.  

We feel so humbled to hear how artists, producers, choreographers, musicians and our whole cultural network are drawing breath, taking stock and gradually re-inventing ways to communicate and keep our practices alive and relevant. 

For Tavaziva, we are delving into our archive, contextualising past productions, assembling unseen footage and exploring on-line demos, classes and audio recordings with Bawren and our collaborators.

We are pleased by the encouragement and support provided by our colleagues at Arts Council England, One Dance UK, messages from our friends and fellow arts organisations, and by the many support groups and funds made available for artists on various platforms. 

‘My heart reaches out to those families who have lost their beloved ones due to the Coronavirus. I know we will conquer this and return to normal life, so let’s all keep ourselves lifted through this difficult time’. Bawren Tavaziva, Artistic Director

While returning to live performance, open class and workshops may feel like a far-away dream at the moment, we encourage you to keep moving, stay motivated and connected. Like Akram Khan recently said, “Hope brings possibility”.

Stay safe and well, Tavaziva Team

Monday, 25th November, N’da Dance Company invites you to a fundraising performance bringing together UK’s top dancers in companies and independent artists who have pledged their support to the shared vision and mission as young South Africans sharing an essence of culture through dance, poetry and songs. They will be performing in three short works by choreographer Mbulelo Ndabeni, who has previously danced with Tavaziva.

N’da Dnace’s South Africa outreach project iamaware is an initiative to connect South African artists of the diaspora and our global network of friends with communities in the rural areas and townships of South Africa to develop projects that facilitate knowledge sharing and skills exchanges towards self and collective empowerment.

Funds raised through tickets sales would go towards outreach projects and development of N’da’s platforms to deliver programmes in the UK with close links and connections to SA.

Supported by the South African High Commissioner Thembi Tambo. Book here!

This past October saw Tavaziva travelling to Taunton and Slough to deliver inspiring and exciting workshops to some lucky dancers.

Tavaziva was delighted to take part in the first edition of Tyca – the Taunton Youth Culture & Arts Festival. As part of this Bawren Tavaziva led a full-day dance and choreographic workshop for students on Btec National Diploma from Bridgwater & Taunton College. They worked towards creating a stunning curtain raiser piece which was featured in the Tyca Festival Opening Night on November 1st, the dancers giving an outstanding performance and embodying Bawren’s unique style.

At the same time two of our company dancers headed back to Creative Academy in Slough as Tavaziva was one of the guest companies for their Masterclass Week programme. With two intense technical and creative sessions, the participants had the opportunity to learn some of the company’s repertoire from past productions, but not before engaging in a Tavaziva style warm up and class which is set to improve technique, stamina and musicality.

Join us for our Professional Class at bbodance studios!

With the creation process for our newest work on its way, you have the chance to join our dancers in the studio for professional-level class. Every Monday and Wednesday between November and January Bawren teaches his highly energetic and physically challenging class that combines ballet, contemporary and African dance. Raise your fitness levels as well as improve technique, strength, and stamina.

We also have guest ballet teachers and company dancers delivering their own dynamic classes. Don’t miss this opportunity and book your place!

See class schedule and BOOK HERE

Why not also try Greenwich Dance’s with Tavaziva this Tuesday. Designed to give dancers a real insight into how Artistic Director Bawren Tavaziva creates and choreographs movement in a 2.5 hour intensive workshop. Based at the Greenwich Dance’s Charlton House, please Click here to book for session for 5th November!

Tavaziva is delighted to be supported by The Foyle Foundation for our new production BOY’S KHAYA.

The grant will support Tavaziva’s creation and development of the work, including the production’s digital elements and rehearsal process as well as a learning and participation programme which supports the tour through a range of talks, workshops and residencies with universities, colleges and schools enabling students and new audiences across the UK to experience this extraordinary new work.

Tavaziva is delighted to hear that our creative collaborator Sherry Coenen is one of the winners of the Knight of Illumination (KOI) Awards that took place on Sunday, 6th of October at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London. The annual ceremony brings together over 500 entertainment industry professionals in lighting and video design and celebrates their achievements working across Theatre, Television, and Concert Touring & Events. Sherry received the MA Lighting Award for Club within the Concert Touring & Events category for Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster. Congratulations on your well-deserved success!

Photo credit: KOI Awards

In September Tavaziva facilitated a three-day research and development session at Theatre Peckham. We brought the production and technical team for BOY’S KHAYA together and started to test the lighting, sound, technology and costume ideas with Bawren Tavaziva and four of the company dancers in attendance.

The choreography challenged the design elements, and working with all the visual effects and graphics was a great experience for the team as we started to discover and understand the real potential of combining dance and motion capture technology with real-time graphics. We ended the session with a four-hour publicity shoot, where the dancers got to play with Bawren’s material in front of cameras, resulting in a brand-new teaser trailer for BOY’S KHAYA and a behind-the-scenes film that will be released soon.