Biography
Mzo is a passionate teacher, choreographer, and seasoned performer. He is the Artistic Director of Sibonelo Dance Project, which he founded in 2008. Mzo trained with Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre, where he later became a company member in 1998. Since those early days as an aspirant dancer, he has performed choreographed work and taught extensively inside and outside of South Africa.
He performed at the WOMAD Festival (Frititi, London and Spain), the inauguration of the Archbishop of Canterbury (Frititi, London), and the South African Festival in London. Other international performances have included The Jungle Book with Universal Shows (Dubai 2003), the Congo Fespam Festival with Frititi (Congo 2004) and Porgy and Bess with Cape Town Opera (toured the UK in 2009 and Israel in 2010). While at Siwela Sonke, he performed many times in works such as Unclenching the Fist, A South African Siddharta (also performed at Grahamstown Festival), New Works, Songa Dance Festival (2001 Madagascar), Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, Burden of Proof (Phenduka Dance Theatre 2001), Dance and Tell Your Territories (a collaborative work with French artist Anne de Beaufort 2001) and made several performances at the Jomba Festival including Laws of Recall which was also performed at the FNB Vita Dance Umbrella.
Gasa was nominated for the FNB Vita dance award for the most promising male dancer several times and won in 1998. He also received an award in 2001 to choreograph his own work (Bond Again) for the FNB Vita Jomba Dance Festival. Mzo has danced and, in some cases, taught and choreographed for the following companies in performances and workshops: Frititi (London, Director – Nii Tagoe), Badejoarts (London, Director – Peter Badejo OBE), Shikisha (London, Director – Julia Mathunjwa), Uthingo (London, Director – Eliot Ngubane), Kafig (France), Buzz Dance Theatre (Australia), Fantastic Flying Fish Dance Company (Durban, SA), Flatfoot Dance Company (Durban, SA) and Phenduka Dance Company (Durban, SA), Phakama Dance Theatre (Durban SA), Jazzart Dance Theatre (Cape Town,SA)
He has also taught choreography and dance for Theatre for Africa, primary and high school learners for the Western Cape Department of Education (as dance teacher and artist in residence from 2008 until 2016), and open classes at Dance for All, amongst others. Passionate about education, Gasa was a contributor to a South African textbook: Grade 7 Arts & Culture.
Synopsis
Abangabonwa translates to 'the unseen' in isiZulu. This work highlights the 'unheard' narratives of individuals residing in impoverished townships, focusing on maternal affection, battles with substance abuse, and the dichotomy of existence between professional and domestic spheres. The choreography was inspired by the experiences of both the choreographer and the dancers, reflecting moments in which they felt overlooked and disregarded.