The dance world mourned Tuesday the internationally acclaimed South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo, who died in hospital on the weekend aged 39.
Masilo died unexpectedly on Sunday after a short sickness, a spokesperson for her household mentioned in a press release.
Born in Soweto, she was described as a sprite-like, energetic dancer and a fearless rule-breaker, who introduced African dance motifs to basic European roles in a profession that spanned 20 years.
“Deeply respectful of European and up to date music traditions, however unafraid to go naked on stage and voice her personal opinions, she successfully modified the form and look of up to date dance in South Africa,” household spokesperson Bridget van Oerle mentioned within the assertion, asserting her demise.
Among the many most up-to-date in a collection of acknowledgements of her work, Masilo in September acquired the Positano Leonide Massine lifetime achievement award for traditional and up to date dance, which praised her as “highly effective and topical”.
Her revisited variations of the good classics of romantic ballet drew on African dance to talk of the society through which she lived and of tolerance throughout borders, the award announcement mentioned.
“A superb mild has been extinguished,” the Joburg Ballet firm mentioned, praising Masilo’s “artistic power as a choreographer and her knowledge as a human being”.
“Her groundbreaking work reshaped the world of up to date dance, and her spirit will proceed to encourage generations of artists and audiences,” the College of Johannesburg’s arts and tradition division mentioned.
The UK-based Dance Consortium, which toured with Masilo in Britain twice, referred to as her demise a “tragic loss to the dance world”.
“Her contemporary perspective, extraordinary presence and gorgeous creations wowed and impressed audiences and artists throughout the UK and all over the world,” it mentioned.
‘Extraordinary function mannequin’
Masilo was finest identified for her iconic re-invention of the good ballet classics similar to “Swan Lake” and “Giselle”, mentioned Lliane Loots, inventive director on the JOMBA! dance centre on the College of KwaZulu-Natal.
She used her “exceptional talent as a ballet dancer” to meld this European dance kind “with the rhythms and intentions of her personal histories of African dance and of being South African,” Loots mentioned.
In 2016, Masilo’s “Swan Lake” was nominated for a New York Bessie Award and the next yr her “Giselle” received Greatest Efficiency by the Italian Danza and Danza Award, the household assertion mentioned.
In 2018, she received the Netherlands’ Prince Claus “Subsequent Era” award, the place she was described as an “extraordinary function mannequin for younger individuals and women”.
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