Zulu in Disneyland

"Got Zulu!"Sduduzo Ka-Mbili/JUXTAPOWER

Dance New Amsterdam

New York, NY

February 4, 2010

By Martha Sherman

Copyright © 2010 by Martha Sherman

We should have been forewarned by the title. “Got Zulu!” might have just been a sly play on the milk industry’s well-known slogan, but was, in fact, a none too subtle hint that we were in for some marketing. In its desire to please, the hour-long historical retrospective of dance, music, and drumming presented by Sduduzo Ka-Mbili/ JUXTAPOWER spent too much time selling, not enough in performance. The show’s lofty goal was to tell the story of South Africa and the Zulus up to and including their embrace of the 2010 World Cup. The mishmash of dance, song, and narration, though, were disappointingly Disney-fied, like a 3-D ride through South African history. Choreographer, director and dancer Ka-Mbili was an overenthusiastic narrator who seemed not to trust the power of his material to make his point.

Despite several uneven scenes set in the bush, the goldmines, and the Soweto streets, fine dancing and singing were woven throughout. One highlight, a thrilling tap dancing sequence by Omar Edwards, evoked the style and energy of “his old colleague and Cousin Savion Glover.” Edwards’s speed and unerring rhythm, along with gravity-defying body balance on tap toes were all familiar Glover signatures. Not quite integrated into the story, Edwards danced in a scene of gumboot dancers, as their foil and competitor. The gumboot dance, with its kicking and rhythmic knee and boot-slapping, was set in the goldmine; the mime and acting were amateurish, but the dancing itself gleeful and fluid. The breakdancing that came next was pure showmanship, strong and well-styled. 

The drumming by Joshua Endlich and the singing that was joined by most of the dancers, were partners to the dance, and could have taken the lead in telling this cultural history in place of the narrations. Two vocalists, Thandi Bhengu (also the musical director) and Tuello Minah Kgobokwe, offered strong, sweet solos, woven with tight harmonic choruses. Kgobokwe’s opening of the township song “Thuli,” was mesmerizing. She also sang the solo line to a rousing “Ikholwa,” the piece that should have ended the program.

Instead, though, there came a strange and embarrassing interlude, a tourist video about South Africa. Despite what is clearly a widely anticipated and important 2010 World Cup event, the film had no place in the show. The dance and the music were not well-served by the interruption, and looked like a too obvious corporate sponsorship for this work. It was followed by a showy closing ensemble piece, the dancers each trying to outdo each other in the height of their kicks and enthusiasm. 

With so much good material, the poor editing and absence of subtlety deflated the program. The dance dialogue would have been better served by more trust of the material (and of the audience) and less overdone showmanship.

copyright © 2010 by Martha Sherman

Photos by Florence Baratay 

Top:  Sduduzo Ka-Mbili in “Got Zulu!”

Bottom: Nkosi Ntuli, Tuello Kgobokwe, Tsholo Mokubung in “Got Zulu!”