Young professional choreographers, dancers, composers and lighting designers will converge in Cape Town to participate in the third edition of the Crossings International Artistic Workshop.

Crossings #3 will take place in Cape Town from 8 to 17 November 2013, and is hosted by the University of Cape Town’s Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA), Baxter Theatre Centre and School of Dance with the support of Institut français and the French Institute of South Africa.

24 South African and international dancers, composers, choreographers and lighting designers will explore the ‘crossings’ between lighting, music and dance in the creative process, under the guidance of four internationally renowned mentors during this ten-day workshop.

These young artists will collaborate and explore new creative horizons under the artistic direction of choreographers Germaine Acogny (Senegal) and Vincent Mantsoe (South Africa), lighting designer Floriaan Ganzevoort (Holland) and composer James Webb (South Africa).

At the end of this creative laboratory consisting of classes, experiments, and discussions, the group will present three new works to the public on the stage of the Baxter Theatre, on Sunday 17 November.

The participants selected to take part to Crossings #3 are:

Dancers: Angelikie Theodorou (SA), Byron Klassen (SA), Chantal Cherry (SA), Gaelle Ikonda (Gabon), Lorin Sokkol (SA), Lua Shayenne (Canada), Manaho Shimokawa (Austria/Japan), Marie-Adeline Choquet (France), Mohamed Yousri (Egypt), Natalie Janse van Rensburg (SA), Shirley-Anne Rabe (SA), Sinazo Bokolo (SA), Sylverster Thami Majela (SA), Tania Vossgatter (SA), Vathiswa Nodlayiya (SA).

Choreographers: Christina Towle (USA/France), Dalia El Abd (Egypt), Mziyanda Mancam (SA).

Composers: Ross Dorkin (SA), Meryl van Noie (SA), Pierre-Henri Wicomb (SA).

Lighting designers: Wilhelm Disbergen (SA), Nkululeko Sibanda (SA), Sonnyboy Pule Setlhako (SA).

Conceived by French choreographer Michel Kelemenis, the two first editions of Crossings took place in 2010 and 2011 in Johannesburg at the Dance Factory, the Dance Forum, Moving into Dance Mophatong and Vuyani Dance Theatre. Three years since the initial edition of Crossings, international connections between previous participants are still flourishing.

Crossings #3 will take place in Cape Town from 8 to 17 November 2013, and is hosted by the University of Cape Town’s Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA), Baxter Theatre Centre and School of Dance with the support of Institut français, the French Institute of South Africa,the Austrian Embassy and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and Foreign Cultural Relations.

The finale of Crossings #3 is open to the public, and will take place on Sunday 17 November at 18:00 at the Baxter Theatre. Admission is free, but booking is essential. 

Image credits: photographs taken by John Hogg

Crossings #3 video recordings: