Choreographer’s Note: 

Inhabitant looks at spaces, specifically inner city spaces, in an area such as  Johannesburg and how they are more than they seem superficially; a doorway becomes a home merely through the occupation of space even though it does not have the traditional structure of 4 walls and a roof.

The transient nature of such an occupation creates subtle shifts in the nature and use of space and brings into question the rights and ownership of such. The energy and superficial expectations of the city can be overwhelming and push its inhabitants to a point where they revert to a natural, anamalistic way of living out in the open without the confines of accepted structures 

Credits

Created by: Sello Pesa

A Collaboration with: Vaughn Sadie

Performers: 

Humphrey Maleka, Brian Mtembu, Samora Ntsebeza, Sello Pesa

duration 21 minutes

Press quotes
 

Produced in partnership with the Goethe Institute – South Africa

South African Premiere: 3rd March 2011 at GoetheonMain, Dance Umbrella

International Premiere: 19th October 2011,Dolapdere Street Istanbul, iDans Festival

“Take centre stage on Main Road, Johannesburg, as you and your fellow audience spill onto the street. Pull up a chair, lean against a wall, and feel safe on-in the street. Although some of us brave the city by going to venues like Arts on Main and the Bioscope, hats off and helmets on, to Pesa for alluring us to re-inhabit our spaces.”

ArtSpoken & ReviewsDance Umbrella: Sello Pesa’s Inhabitant - Suzy Bernstein
03/04/2011 10:23:28

More information:

http://www.ntsoana.co.za/

Updating : September 2013

Sello Pesa is a Soweto born choreographer and dancer interested in the changes and challenges that arise from living in South Africa and is greatly respected locally and overseas. He has been inspired by diverse South African choreographers and spent four years touring South Africa and Europe with the late Jackie Mbuyisela Semela’s Soweto Dance Theatre.

After receiving a 2 year scholarship to study at the Northern Contemporary Dance School in Leeds he was commissioned by Yorkshire Dance to create Scars which was performed at the Riley Theatre, Chapeltown, and then by the American Dance Festival to create Scars II. Sello co-founded Inzalo Dance Theatre with Moeketsi Koena in 1999 and was co-Artistic director until the beginning of 2002.

In 2001 Sello’s work Same But Different won first prize at the Sanga II African Contemporary biennial in Madagascar –the work was toured to Europe and Africa. As winner of Sanga II, Same But Different was invited to participate in Movement ®evolution In and Out of Africa in the United States, 2004.

Sello spent four years collaborating with French choreographer, Valerie Berger, and has performed extensively overseas in countries such as Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Reunion Island, India, Europe, Russia, America and Africa and is and a great exponent of African Dance. Locally, Sello is greatly respected and is regularly commissioned to create works for festivals such as the Arts Alive Festival and the Dance Umbrella.

In 2006 Sello formally registered Ntsoana Contemporary Dance Theatre as a Non – Profit Organisation and was invited to the Small World Festival in Russia where he conducted master classes, choreographed and performed.

As Artistic Director of Ntsoana, Sello was instrumental in starting the Training and Development Programme which aims to train and develop young dance practitioners into well rounded artists. He has conducted choreographic workshops on behalf of the Dance Umbrella and the Gauteng Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.

During 2008, 2009 and 2010 Sello and Belgium based Carlos Pez collaborated on the SharpSharp Activities which included Cross Currents and was developed in South Africa and Germany - in 2010 wit as extended to the Townships in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

In 2009 and again in 2011 he was invited to teach contemporary and African dance master classes at the Tanzfabrik – Berlin and in 2011 Sello was the South African representative at the Choreographic laboratory held as part of the Attakkalari Biennial in India.

Sello’s aspiration to make dance and arts accessible to a wide and diverse audience was realised in 2010 with the In House Project which placed performances in houses and public spaces in Jo’burg and its surrounding Townships. The project was then invited to be performed as part of the Colloquium, Emerging Modernities, which was held at the University of Cape Town in 2011.

Sello enjoys exploring new ways of working and pushing his boundaries; this has led to collaborations with Peter van Heerden in the creation of the controversial Time of the Small Berries in 2010 and the award winning Inhabitant, Tshwene ga ipone makopo, Amagwinya and Teka Munyika with Vaughn SAdie in 2011.

Along with 2 Ethiopian choreographers, Sello was involved with the creation of a site specific work for the Goethe Institute Addis Abeba’s 50th Anniversary in 2012.

Training :

2009: Living Yoga, Teachers Course, Johannesburg

2004: Studied Ashtanga yoga in Mysore, India, with B.N.S Iyenga 

1999: Participated in the International Choreography Residency Course held by the American Dance Festival in Northern Carolina

1997-1998: Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, K. Received a B Tech Diploma in Performance Arts, Contemporary Dance.

Teaching:

2013: Taught African and Contemporary classes at the Tanzfabrik- Berlin

2012: Facilitator for Inhabitant workshops

Facilitator for the Drama For Life Sex Actually Festival

Conducted choreographic  workshops in Madagascar

Conducted workshops  on behalf of the Goethe Institut – Addis Abeba, Ethiopia

2011: Part of the Choreographic Lab at the Attakkalari Biennal in India.

Conducted Workshops on behalf of the Stepping Stones Development

Programme

Taught African and Contemporary classes at the Tanzfabrik- Berlin

Conducted workshops at the iDans Festival – Istanbul, Turkey

Conducted Workshops on behalf of the Goethe Institut – Addis Abeba, Ethiopia

2010: Conducted Workshops on behalf of the Stepping Stones Development

Programme Choreoraphic Workshop programme in Sebokeng

Sharp/sharp workshops with Carlos Pez in Cape Town and Johannesburg

2009: Conducted Workshops on behalf of the Stepping Stones Development

Programme

On going training and Development of Unomthandazo Dance Company

Taught African and Contemporary classes at the Tanzfabrik- Berlin

Cross Currents  workshops with Carlos Pez in Johannesburg and Berlin

2008:Facilitator for the Best of Stepping Stones (Motjeko Dance) performances at

the National Arts Festival 2008

Year long Training and Development programme

2006/ 2007: invited to conduct the “Young Choreographers Workshop” as part of

Dance Umbrella 2006 and 2007

Invited to teach Contemporary and African Dance Classes at the “Small world

Festival in Russia”

2002-2005: conducted ongoing workshops in contemporary and African dance in

Reunion Island

2000-2001:      Taught improvisation in Mozambique, Reunion Island and Mauritius

1998:  International Choreography Residency at the American Dance Festival.

1997:   Community projects and outreach programmes in Soweto Othandweni Children’s home and the Soweto Dance Project at Bapedi Hall.

1996:   Taught and performed at Phuteng Nest School, Johannesburg Civic Centre, and the former Open School in Johannesburg and COSAC Music Academy outreach.

1994-1995:      Eastside College N4 Ballet Course with Dianne Sparks and Ken Yeatman

1991-1993:      Soweto Dance Theatre, trained by Mbuyiselwa Jackie Semela in African Dance

Awards :

Winner of the Critical Endeavour Award – iDAns Festival, Istanbul 2011

Winner of the French biennial of African and Contemporary dance in Madagascar – 2001

Recipient of an Ovation Award for Same But Not Different  - NAF 2010

Nominated for the FNB Vita Awards for Most Promising Male Dancer – 1992, 1993

Nominated for the FNB Vita Awards for Most Outstanding Male Dancer – 1994, 1995

Nominated for MEC Award for outstanding Presentation of Contemporary Dance work for Totems - 2008

Commissioned to create work for the Goethe Institute Addis Abeba’s 50th Anniversary – 2012

Commissioned by Dance Umbrella to create works – 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013

Commissioned to create work for Unomthandazo Dance Company – 2008

Commissioned to create a work for the Dance Factory Youth – 2006

Commissioned for the Jomba Festival – 2002

Commissioned by Yorkshire Dance in Leeds, UK - 1998 & 1999

Commissioned by the Pretoria Technikon to create a work in 1997

Company :

In 2006 Sello formally registered Ntsoana Contemporary Dance Theatre as a registered Non – Profit Organisation and was invited to the Small World Festival in Russia where he conducted master classes, choreographed and performed.

As Artistic Director of Ntsoana, Sello was instrumental in starting the Training and Development Programme which aims to train and develop young dance practitioners into well rounded artists. Part of this training programme involved an on going relationship between Ntsoana and Unomthandazo Dance Company from Sebokeng which included a 2 year training of their dancers in various dance techniques and choreography.

Currently:

Sello Pesa is the Artist Director and founder of Ntsoana Contempoary Dance Theatre.

Activity 2013 :

DisplacementPowerlines – directed performances for the Dance Umbrella Gala

Connexion Kin – Invited to participate in the Shared Space Programme held in    Kinshasa which connects artists, curators, directors and programmers.

More information:

http://www.ntsoana.co.za/

Latest update : September 2013