Going to Holland

Ombetja Yehinga Organisation Trust (OYO) will take their performances to Rotterdam in the Netherlands later this week.

They will perform their dance piece, ‘Trapped’ in the country on 20 September. The dancing troupe has been around since 2008 and they have told various stories through their dances. OYO tells a narrative story without using words, but still convey important messages.

Trapped will be an 18-minute long dance performed by El Junita Philander, Herman ‘Kassi” Hausiku and Ilifa ‘Joe” Nakapela and is choreographed by Philippe Talavera. It is a duet story for three bodies that cannot co-exist.

‘Trapped’ will performed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 29 September, on invitation by the Prince Claus Fund and WORM/Pantropical. The Prince Claus Fund supports, connects and celebrates artists and cultural practitioners where cultural expression is under pressure and safeguards cultural heritage where it is under threat.

Pantropical is a frenzied concert/club series focusing on rough-edged tropical music, contemporary club music, outré rural folklore, global bass and more. Pantropical balances the new with the trailblazers of old, seeking out authenticity and new movements.

“It is a great honour for OYO and for the three dancers selected’, explain Talavera. ‘It is a very progressive venue, something we don’t often see in Namibia. They will not only have a chance to perform their work but also see the work of others and connect with people around the world. This is extremely exciting,” said Philippe.

The event is happening at the same time as the Windhoek International Dance Festival, spearheaded by the College of the Arts, where the rest of the OYO dance troupe will perform ‘I have a choice’, a more classical piece of physical theatre.

“Working on ‘Trapped’ was exciting for m”’, Philippe. “As it caters for a different audience and I could therefore push the dancers beyond their comfort zone. I hope we will be able to also present the piece in Namibia at some stage.”