Following (the) Last Supper, leftfoot productions presents Nijinsky’s War, directed by award-winning Gopala Davies, conceived by acclaimed dancer/choreographer, Ignatius van Heerden. This collaboration combines theatre and dance to draw parallels between Nijinsky and Van Heerden’s life as performers and dance creators. Nijinsky, cited the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century, was celebrated for his virtuosity and depth. Tragically he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and committed 30yrs
Introduction
Following the success of (the) Last Supper, (7 BroadwayWorld.com BMW Award Nominations), in 2016, leftfoot productions is embarking on a fresh new production, NIJINSKY’S WAR, directed by award-winning Gopala Davies and conceived by acclaimed dancer/choreographer, Ignatius van Heerden. SATMAG, furthermore, proclaimed Davies to be one of the Top 5 Theatre Makers of 2017.
Inspired by Norman Allen’s script, “Nijinsky’s Last Dance”, the work aims to not only act as a slight biographical work on the life of Nijinsky, but also shed some light on schizophrenia, the disease that ultimately claimed his genius. The work will also draw parallels to Van Heerden’s life as a performer and dance creator, incorporating his background growing up as a farm boy.
Nijinsky became increasingly mentally unstable with the stresses of having to manage tours himself and deprived of opportunities to dance, which had always been his total obsession. After a tour of South America in 1917, his mental condition deteriorated; he was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1919 and committed to an asylum for the first time. For the next 30 years, he was in and out of institutions, never dancing again in public.
Creative Team and Cast BroadwayWorld.com BMW award nominations
Producer: leftfoot productions – Best new work: (the) Last Supper
Director: Gopala Davies – Best director: (les Cenci)
Set design: Nadine Minnaar – Best scene design: (the) Last Supper
Choreography: Ignatius van Heerden – Best choreography: (the) Last Supper
Cast: Ignatius van Heerden – Best actor in a play: (the) Last Supper
What more to know:
This brand new, proudly South African work thematically resonates to current worldly affairs in Africa. The subject matters that are addressed in this work are very relevant to our current social atmosphere, such as war, sexuality and narcissism.
Using images of war in black and white projection, a camouflage much like the iconic image of “Faun”, the work focusses on the idea of a man trapped in an asylum. Is his body the asylum? Is being an artist an asylum in itself, not only in his life, but the relevance of current social behavior and its impact on art, or art makers?
We live in a schizophrenic society which is addicted to violence. We use sexual taboos as marketing stunts for personal gains. Narcissistic behavior has become the norm on social media sites. Politicians entice war, and hate crimes are on the rise. Society as a whole has become what Nijinsky was to the dance world in his hey-day, a schizophrenic creator of its own destruction.
The idea is to focus primarily on how people with mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are easily pushed aside. They are in fact placed within certain brackets or societal borders. All of the borders, be it international immigrants, national politics or standards of society and life, are being crossed daily by “normal” people and “normal” politicians.
South Africa, for me, is Nijinsky – a multifaceted being, who allows for so much creativity, yet is dysfunctional. All of the issues with which Nijinsky struggled personally, are still so relevant in current society. War is eminent. Sexuality is an open discussion, and, although “welcomed”, is still frowned upon. Have we changed? Or have we just moved the borders broader, from individual to international, cultural and spiritual?
More about the play
The work is set in an asylum…with one obscure “broken” hospital bed that also acts as a rock for the ‘Faun’ to sit upon. While locked up, Nijinsky, in his true narcissistic nature, re-lives his best moments in dance. From L’après-midi d’un faune (1912) to music by Claude Debussy, to the debatable success of Jeux (1913), a personal account of his relationship with Diaghilev, who insisted on introducing a third party to their love life.
Faune caused controversy because of its sexually suggestive final scene. Nijinsky originally conceived Jeux as a flirtatious interaction among three males, although Diaghilev insisted it be danced by one male and two females.
With a confirmed preview at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre, a run at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, as well as a potential return-season at Montecasino, this multi-discipline one-man production is sure to reach audiences from a broad demographic and to be hailed as a milestone work in South African Theatre
More about the project:
This brand new, proudly South African work thematically resonates to current worldly affairs in Africa. The subject matters that are addressed in this work are very relevant to our current social atmosphere, such as war, sexuality and narcissism.
Using images of war in black and white projection, a camouflage much like the iconic image of “Faun”, the work focusses on the idea of a man trapped in an asylum. Is his body the asylum? Is being an artist an asylum in itself, not only in his life, but the relevance of current social behavior and its impact on art, or art makers?
We live in a schizophrenic society which is addicted to violence. We use sexual taboos as marketing stunts for personal gains. Narcissistic behavior has become the norm on social media sites. Politicians entice war, and hate crimes are on the rise. Society as a whole has become what Nijinsky was to the dance world in his hey-day, a schizophrenic creator of its own destruction.
The idea is to focus primarily on how people with mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are easily pushed aside. They are in fact placed within certain brackets or societal borders. All of the borders, be it international immigrants, national politics or standards of society and life, are being crossed daily by “normal” people and “normal” politicians.
South Africa, for me, is Nijinsky – a multifaceted being, who allows for so much creativity, yet is dysfunctional. All of the issues with which Nijinsky struggled personally, are still so relevant in current society. War is eminent. Sexuality is an open discussion, and, although “welcomed”, is still frowned upon. Have we changed? Or have we just moved the borders broader, from individual to international, cultural and spiritual?
How much money we need:
In order to bring life to this production a total of R100 000 is needed. This will cover costume design, set design, rehearsal fees, transport and accommodation to Grahamstown Festival.
What the money will be used for:
Tipping Point Amount R30 000 – the money will directly go toward costumes for the project, as well as accommodation during the National Arts Festival 2017.
Dream Funding Goal R100 000 – with the total amount we can focus on all aspects including set design, sound design, directors fees, marketing, as well as costumes, accommodation and transport to the Festival.
We already received a generous donation of R10 000.
Director Gopala Davies:
Gopala Davies is a South African actor and director specialising in Film and Theatre. He holds a BA Hons (Cum Laude) in Drama and Film Studies. Gopala has also trained with Anthony Montes, one of the top Meisner teachers in Hollywood and a direct student of Sanford Meisner.
Gopala is the recipient of two SATMag Awards (2016) for his intermedial production Les Cenci: A story about Artaud (Best Supporting Actress – Fiona Ramsay/ Best Set Design) and a Standard Bank Ovation Award (2015) for Barbe Bleue: A story about madness. He is best known for his role as Robert in the SABC 1 soap opera Generations: The Legacy. Gopala has acted in the SABC 3 TV series High Rollers and features in various TV commercials. He also played the character Adam in the Short Film Lilith: Genesis One which won the Film category at the 2015 PPC Imaginarium Awards.
Gopala has been a regular participant at the National Arts Festival, both acting and directing in shows such as Pieter Toerien’s Naledi Award winning The History Boys (2011), Cry Havoc (2013), Barbe Bleue: A story about madness (2014 and 2015), Les Cenci: A story about Artaud (2016) (commissioned by the French Institute of South Africa) and Jade Bowers’ (2016 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre) Scorched.
Choreographer/performer Ignatius van Heerden:
Ignatius van Heerden, displays his extensive dance training skills in the styles of Jazz, Ballet, and Contemporary Dance. Successfully obtaining a number of awards over the last decade, naming a few, The FNB Vita Award for the Most Promising Male Dancer, a Naledi Award for the Best Ensemble Performance in a musical and his latest achievement, received for choreography: A Merit Award at the National Arts Festival for excellence in creativity and innovation in his work “6 impossible things” for Oakfields College Faculty of Dance and Musical Theatre.
Ignatius has worked with some of South Africa’s most prominent dance companies and choreographers which include, Robin Orlin, David Goldie, Chris Kindo and Kelsey Middleton, amongst others. Opening his talents to the field of Musical Theatre with performances in Odessy, Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar and Peter Pan. Other productions he has performed in, Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, Disney’s High School Musical Stage Production, Fred Abrahams’ Jungle Book, Madam Zingara’s, Sean Bovim’s highly acclaimed Romeo’s kiss and Nataniel’s combat, Tango Nights and Swingtime at the Ballet with Bovim Ballet under Sean Bovim and Moffie directed by Bailey Snyman.
Aside from performing Ignatius has choreographed numerous commission works and was chosen to partake in the FNB Dance Umbrella Choreographic residency. He has created works for the Youth Dance Company of Tshwane, FNB Dance Umbrella, KKNK National Art Festival, Kmad.com, and Fantastic Flying Fish Dance Co. Ignatius was one of the founding members of move1524 and acted as the artistic director and choreographer. Performances for the company took him to Greece, Athens and this led to a position in the International Dance Council (CID – UNESCO). He was commissioned to choreograph a new work for FNB Dance Umbrella’s 20th anniversary year, and worked under acclaimed Robin Orlin in Dressed to Kill, Killed to Dress, a European Tour. He choreographed In Exile under move1524 as well as My breath carries me over. His latest works include FLESH and J’Zel, both premiered at the NAF in Grahamstown and were received well critically.
With much enthusiasm and incredible passion Ignatius has recently founded his own dance studio: Iggy’s Dance Academy and has also spent the past few years training, developing and lecturing the Dance and Musical Theatre students of Oakfields College. In the year 2016 he produced as well as performed (acted) in the premier of the play (The) Last Supper for which he was nominated in the Best Actor in a Play, as well as, Best Choreography categories, BroadwayWorld.com BMW Theatre Awards. His latest involvement in 2016 includes directing Martin van Heerden’s Woestynland for Woordfees 2016, Choreographing Fragments for Pro-Arte Alphen Park and nefelibata for National Arts Festival.