Traditionally speaking, music tends to be inseparable from dance. So where does this leave adventurous, contemporary African dancers and choreographers? They have several options. The first is to harness recorded music, either imported or local. South African born composer Kevin Volans’s White Man Sleeps, (performed by the Kronos Quartet), Meredith Monk, Steve Reich, and Dead Can Dance are among the staples. Ravel’s Bolero has long been a favourite, receiving iconic treatment from Alfred Hinkel and Jazzart Dance Theatre, incorporating gumboot, Bharata Natyam and Zulu traditional dance rhythms, rituals and steps.

Since contemporary dance is about breaking the mould, using anything from Mozart to kwaito is par for the course. But apart from the sea of copyright issues and fees that must be navigated in order to use these recordings, they also have to be edited and engineered into quality soundscapes. Of course the ideal is to commission a composer to reflect and extend the choreographic vision, or to collaborate on stage with musicians. These opportunities have become a luxury, out of the financial reach of most South African dance makers and companies. But there have been exceptions, which have enriched the South African repertory and in certain instances, made an impact beyond our borders.

Read more in the March 2010 issue of CLASSICFEEL magazine