Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice – Festival Theatre

Award-winning South African choreographer Dada Masilo has embarked on a UK tour of The Sacrifice, and it is not one that you want to miss – with its last date in Newcastle on 12th April 2023, it will fly by as quickly as this performance did.

Revisiting Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and inspired by Pina Bausch’s performance of the same name, the amount of influences that Dada draws upon make for a deeply compelling piece of storytelling: with a mixture of classical and contemporary dance forms, and drawing on her own cultural heritage, incorporating ‘Tswana’, the traditional dance of Botswana, into the movement, The Sacrifice is a beautiful piece about ritual, sacrifice, and healing.

Featuring its own original score, performed live on stage (with the spellbinding voice of Ann Masina, and talent of Leroy Mapholo, Mpho Mothiba, and Nathi Shongwe), the show is gripping from start to finish. I found myself absorbed in the story of this maiden’s sacrifice up until the very last drum had been beat, the last note sung, and the last breath drawn. The energy on display – from both dancers and musicians – is fantastic, and the expressive and rhythmic dance movements enthralling. The costumes, designed by David Hutt, complement the moves beautifully, with flashes of colours revealed here and there, adding poetry to the performance and wonder in the eyes of the audience, whilst the naturalistic lighting by Suzette le Sueur, with its muted earthen tones, provides the perfect environment for dancers to shine in their delivery of the story.

The navigation through fluctuating tempos felt effortless, and the loosely coordinated movements at times allowed for emotions to carry the narrative. The use of music in this endeavour was particularly effective: in specific moments, usually when only two dancers were on stage, it was fascinating watching the pair dance to respective instruments, most often with different rhythms or tones, thereby adding emotional depth and complexity to the story. Dada certainly did not want to create a simple, straightforward story, as she made clear in a Q&A session after the show, and she has without a doubt succeeded in this on many points, not the least of which was doing away with the violence usually so prominent in the story, and making room for mourning and healing.

The Sacrifice is running until 12th April 2023, you can find out about the different venues and download the programme here: https://danceconsortium.com/touring/dada-masilos-the-sacrifice-2023/

Reviewer: Louise Balaguer

Reviewed: 10th March 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★