From fearful movements to desperate races, Fana Tshabalala dances with darkness. The South-African choreographer, driven by moving and committed gestures, transcends this idea of inner discovery in his “Gates of Hell”, inspired by the figures of the “Gates of Hell” by the sculptor Auguste Rodin.

The choreographer was in residency in France for his piece “Gates of Hell”, a duo presented in February 2012 at Dance Umbrella, followed by the National Arts Festival at Grahamstown, which then resulted in a solo that he himself interprets.

Exceeding all limits, there is the love of discovery. Tirelessly, instinctively, he heads towards the unknown. This place, understood and tamed, is a means of transforming humanity and revolutionising living beings. Often souls only unveil themselves in places where gazes are unseeing and languages foreign. The discovery of others thus becomes the search for oneself, somewhere between vagrancy and the fear of emptiness, so close to the gates of hell ...

Fana Tshabalala is the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Dance. Fana started his career within the performing industry by being involved in different community groups such as Vuku Zenzele Cultural Group (Assistant Director), Sonqoba Cultural Group (Performer), Pheelo Dance Company (Dancer), Motswako Performing Artists (Performer) and he was a Dance director in Vuka African Artists. He also worked with Vaal Sounds Chorus as Dancer.

He was accepted as a student to be part of the MIDM FETC in Performing Arts. As part of his studies he choreographed a solo dance work entitled “As it is two in one”, which he also performed as part of the FNB Dance Umbrella’s Stepping Stones in 2007. The following year he presented his solo entitled “Ukunxanwa” at the FNB Dance Umbrella.

In 2009-2010 he got a chance to work with European choreographer Michel Keleminis for the period of six months, in his work with Kelemenis he learnt and performed the role of Anatom in “L’Amoureuse de Monsieur Muscle’ the work toured around France, reaching places like, Nancy, Marseille, Nancy, Dunkerque and many more. He also worked with Kelemenis on his Solo titled “That side”. Fana was also privileged to present his work entitled “Lost and Found” alongside “That side” in Avignon. Fana also facilitated dance workshops for different schools and artists in France.

He performed Michel Kelemeni’s solo “That side” in Zimbabwe at the HIFA festival, Jomba festival in Durban and both solos in the Moving into Dance season.

In 2011 he choreographed a group work entitled “Fractured” together with Moving Into Dance Mophatong’s professional company. The worked was performed at the Dance Umbrella as part of the main programme. He also performed his solo entitled “Lost and Found’ at the Francophonic organized by the French Institute of South Africa.

Fana was also involved in an international choreographic workshop that took place in Johannesburg. In 2011 he performed his new solo at the New Dance Festival, the work is entitled ‘Une Rupture’. The work has been performed again in France at the Klap maison pour la Danse/Kelemenis & cie and Centre Choregraphique National de Caen/Basse-Normandie.

Fana was in residency in France working on his new commissioned work titled “Gates of Hell” which was performed as a duet in February 2012 at the Dance Umbrella. This work was also presented in the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

In 2012, Fana joined The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative as a professional company member where he choreographed “Between Us“.

In 2013 as Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Dance, Fana Tshabalala will choreograph and present a new work Indumba at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Indumba will be presented at Jomba! in Durban and Arts Alive in Johannesburg. Furthermore, Fana will tour ‘Between Us’ and ‘Gates of Hell’ to Fance as part of his 3 month residency with Kelemenis & cie and Centre National de la Danse (CND).

Fana is currently a professional company member of the Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative.

source : http://www.forgottenangle.co.za/fana.html

Latest update : march 2014

Since 2001, the National Center for Dance (CND) has been making recordings of its shows and educational programming and has created resources from these filmed performances (interviews, danced conferences, meetings with artists, demonstrations, major lessons, symposia specialized, thematic arrangements, etc.).