Gauteng backs its own Dance sensation Oscar Buthelezi for an International Choreography Award in Germany
Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Faith Mazibuko has backed the sensational Oscar Buthelezi to do well at the 33rd International Competition for Choreographers in Hanover, Germany scheduled for 21 and 22 June 2019.
The 29-year-old Buthelezi has been selected as one of 19 finalists for the Hanover Competition. He is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Naledi Theatre Award for Best Original Choreography in a musical -The Colour Purple.
He (Buthelezi) is a product of the Gauteng department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation dance development programme called ‘Dance-Motjeko’. The programme including the iShashalazi Theatre has been unearthing and nurturing talented young local artists. It has helped many in sharpening and elevating their skills to greater levels of professional quality and excellence.
Says MEC Mazibuko “Buthelezi is pure talent and we are happy to have been there through our dance development programme to shine bright his star. We believe in his talents and abilities and think he stands a chance to be crowned the 2019 recipient of the award. We are beginning to see a lot of products from our development programmes and this has encouraged us to work even harder to unearth more talent”.
Meanwhile Mazibuko has called for support of the campaign to help take Oscar Buthelezi and his team to Germany to for the award. A fundraising drive has been launched to collect atleast R60 000 for the 4-member team to pay for tickets and visas.
Buthelezi has earned international acclaim for his bold choreography and the brilliant style and sensitivity of his dance. He is the six-time and only winner of the acclaimed Kurt Jooss Choreography Awards held in Germany every 3-years. The awards have been held 6-times making it the first time ever the same dancer has achieved such.
He recently worked as a choreographic assistant to renowned “dance disruptor” Jessica Nupen on Romeo & Juliet: Rebellion & Johannesburg, which toured Germany and then opened the 2016 Dance Umbrella in Johannesburg.
His plans now are to continue creating works for Moving into Dance and other companies. He previously stated his wish to achieve excellence and give back to the community. “I want to find my own signature style and establish it on national and international stages. I want to give back to communities through dance because I also believe it can heal. It has changed my life and gave me many opportunities I want to help open for others”.
He’s also spoken about how dance kept him off the streets. “I come from circumstances that would very probably have kept me on the streets, but dance has taught me discipline. It prevented me from doing crime and drugs. It has taken my raw talent and groomed it into something I earn a living from”.
Buthelezi can be found teaching dance to youngsters in Newtown every Saturday through his Moving into Dance programme.
Enquiries:
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Cell: 083 507 8068
Tel: 011 355 2578
E-mail: nomazwe.ntlokwana@gauteng.gov.za
