Biography
Choreographer, performer, dance teacher, and multiple award winner, Sekwati Koko Mantsoe was born in 1971 in Soweto. Raised by his mother in a family of healers, he attended ritual healing ceremonies from a young age, where he accompanied his grandmother, aunt, and mother on the drums. With the help of a scholarship, he became a hard-working student in 1989, training at the Moving Into Dance Company Mophatong, one of the first multiracial companies in South Africa, run by Sylvia Glasser. He became a member of the company and studied a wide range of techniques and types of dance, Asian, Western and African.
He became associate artistic director of the company in 1997 and created many solos and ensemble pieces. The highlight of this term was collaborations with other companies such as the Ballet Theatre Afrikan in South Africa, The Dance Theatre of Harlem in the United States, Skanes Dans Theatre in Sweden and the Collective of Black Artists in Canada. His choreography combines traditional African dance with contemporary, Aboriginal, Asian, Indian and Balinese influences. He embraces ballet, Tai-chi and various other martial arts, to forge a personal Afro-fusion style.
Synopsis
Desert Poems encapsulates the austere allure and enigmatic tranquility of an environment characterized by extremes. These literary works eloquently depict the scorching sun, the biting wind, the expansive emptiness, and the remarkable tenacity of life. Each line vividly evokes the hues of the sand, the contours of the dunes, and the profound silence of the nocturnal sky. These poems resonate with themes of resilience, adaptation, and the indomitable spirit of survival amidst formidable challenges. Through evocative imagery and contemplative language, desert poetry transports readers to a realm that is both harsh and breathtakingly beautiful.
