"A wonderfully entertaining duet…wrapped up themes of conflict in humour and originality" – The Independent

"The dance and drama are shuffled at such speeds that the interaction of choreography and sexual power play is always surprising" – The Guardian (Southern Comfort)

This programme of two powerful duets brings together three long-time friends and creative collaborators. Southern Comfort, choreographed by Gregory Maqoma, and Bound, by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, are performed by Maqoma and Shanell Winlock. Southern Comfort, lauded for its incisive commentary, looks at how perceived ideas define human experience and mirrors behaviours, attitudes and reactions. Dramatic, passionate and humorous, its exposé of the power games people play is movingly captured by the dynamic interaction of Maqoma and Winlock. The extraordinary chemistry of their dance partnership is brought to bear in Bound, choreographed by renowned Flemish-Moroccan dance artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. He explores with the dancers the notion of how we are bound to ourselves and our desires, and our bonds to our heritage and to one another. Body parts are linked in movement, limiting yet creating potential for both dancers to find an articulation together. Both duets are accompanied live by original music from three musicians drawing on European, South African and South Asian traditions.

Maqoma, founder of Vuyani Dance Theatre, is among the leading voices of the new-generation South African artists and has gained international acclaim as choreographer and dancer. Winlock, a recipient of multiple awards for performance and formerly with Vuyani Dance Theatre, is currently a dancer at UK’s Akram Khan Dance Company.

Co-production: Théâtre de la Ville (Paris, France), Sadler’s Wells (London, UK), The ShowRoom – University of Chichester with The Point (Eastleigh, UK), Festival de Marseille, RPF/RED Reggio Emilia Danza – Aperto Festival, Julidans (Amsterdam, Netherlands), KVS ( Brussels)

With the support of: Cultuurcentrum Brugge, TanzHaus NRW (Dusseldorf, Germany), Festival Next (Courtrai-Lille-Tournai)/Buda, Vuyani Dance Theatre (dir. Gregory Maqoma), Eastman vzw (dir. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui)

Production: Théâtre de la Ville (Paris, France)


House Programme: Download programme notes here.

EXPLORATIONS: Find out more about this work and join us in an informal post-performance talk with the Artists.

Biographies