UNBREAKABLE

AN UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMANCE FEATURING PERSONAL STORIES FROM FIVE PANTSULA DANCERS FROM SOWETO (12+)

Through a blend of heartfelt performance, vibrant African dance styles, humour and impressive visuals, the Soweto Skeleton Movers from Johannesburg tell their personal life stories. Despite the many setbacks and wrong paths that have crossed their path, these five dancers are ‘unbreakable’.

The Soweto Skeleton Movers take the audience on a journey through a joyful and overwhelming mix of singing, street scenes, captivating visuals and their ‘skeleton pantsula’ – a blend of traditional South African street dance (Pantsula) and ‘bone breaking’. All of this is accompanied by a contemporary soundtrack featuring melodic Afrohouse tunes and pulsating Amapiano beats. Welcome to Soweto!

‘Unbreakable’ is a promising collaboration between Rotterdam-based choreographer Lloyd Marengo, London-based theatre director Jonzi D and the five explosively energetic dancers of the Soweto Skeleton Movers, who have long since outgrown their humble status as street performers and now perform worldwide.

Performance dates: April/October/November 2024

“There is no doubt whatsoever about the talent, skill and dedication of these five amazing dancers. They pour their heart and soul into the piece. That alone would be enough to keep you watching, but add to that the exuberant footwork and the physically demanding acrobatic contortions, and you simply cannot take your eyes off them,” – Seeing Dance, UK.

“It’s astonishing how their stories, told without words, are understandable to everyone and, above all, tangible,” – Theater- en Musicaljournaal, Netherlands.

“The audience at Unbreakable gets exactly what they came for: lightning-fast footwork, astonishing hat tricks, catchy beats and acrobatics,” – NRC, Netherlands.

About the creator

The dancers Topollo Ntulo, Jabulani Manyoni, Molefi Rakitla, Junior Hlongwane and Lerato Motsepe command attention with their exceptional flexibility, serpentine movements, astonishing acrobatic footwork and the humour with which they perform. They used to rely on the generosity of tourists visiting Nelson Mandela’s home in Soweto to earn their daily bread. One of these tourists was Jonzi D, the artistic director of Breakin’ Convention in London. He immediately brought the five of them to the UK. Since then, they have long since outgrown their humble status as street performers and now perform all over the world.