#BALLETMUSTFALL to Occupy Alexander Bar Upstairs Theatre

#BALLETMUSTFALL, a new dance play written, choreographed and directed by Jared Musiker, will open at Alexander Bar in January for a three-performance run. Co-written by Asisipho Malunga, Rudzani Moleya and Londiwe Khoza, the 55-minute piece will be performed by Musiker himself opposite Malunga and Khoza.

The creators of #BALLETMUSTFALL have outlined the show with the following manifesto:

Dear non-dancers; the definitely-not-athletes-of-God; those of you with more than one left foot; the bitter has-beens/once-upon-a-time-I-was-a-prima; bigots and those who just don't care,

Our dance industry is in perpetual recession. We, the dancers, are not slaves to those stuck in 1970-something. Audiences resemble privileged hospices, money is disappearing, orchestras are owed, and we are tired of SWAN F****** LAKE! Here is our manifesto: #BALLETMUSTFALL and we demand change! This is a house of the revolution, so leave your white tendencies at the door and see dance as never before.

This is not your average dance-play! Dansteater se moer! Dance is the silent art form. Whilst other forms of art have sculptures to tear down and vandalise, we have to be quiet whilst our elderly audiences cough and splutter, lucky if half even make it to Act Two. So many young people are in the arts; where are they? Why are they so bored? Meanwhile, we gather the few rand in our pocket, fly overseas and audition with Russian anorexics on the right side of exchange rates with familiarity on their side. And we are just left with so many questions: Were they born like that? Do they even eat? Do they have real friends? Back home, funding goes to classical ballet, the dance of imperial Europe. Let's face it: we just don't have the body type for lily white tutus. Oh, and pointe shoes - they don't come in brown, so even Misty Copeland probably has to dye all her shoes to match her skin tone. This is a taste of our rather ridiculous predicament as young dancers. We've degraded ourselves one too many times for some random commercial casting director who couldn't even care and we definitely don't want to "GISELLE" again. So we invite all to join our cause and laugh at the comedy that is the life of the Athletes-of-God. We refuse to be silent anymore. We want justice and reform.

Viva la Revolution.

#BALLETMUSTFALL co-ordinator Jared Musiker views himself more as a self-proclaimed enfant terrible or dance revolutionary than an average dance enthusiast. He graduated from the Cape Academy of Performing Arts in 2014, majoring in contemporary dance and drama. Since graduation, he has spent time exploring innovative aspects of contemporary dance, movement therapy and new choreographic processes with the aim of creating innovative and edgy dance and physical theatre performances of international standard here in South Africa. He hopes to create a a transformative space that starts new conversations in this area of the arts, to start drawing back dwindling general public interest in dance and to create more sustainable options for young performers looking into this career.

Asisipho Malunga is a 22-year-old dancer, actress and singer who graduated from the Cape Academy of Performing Arts in 2014. She worked with the Yellow Glove Collective in 2015, not only performing but getting involved in the creative process too. Malunga's talents allow her to be flexible in her career and apart from her work in #BALLETMUSTFALL, she is also currently acting in an international film being shot here in Cape Town.

22-year-old Londiwe Khoza began her dance training at the age of five, graduating with distinction from the Cape Academy of Performing Arts in 2014. She spent six months at the Central School of Ballet in London, from January - June 2015, and was a member of Joburg Ballet from until November of last year. Currently a soloist with the Cape Dance Company, she performed with the company in BLUE.

#BALLETMUSTFALL runs at the Alexander Bar's Upstairs Theatre from 7 - 9 January at 21:00. Tickets cost R70 if booked and prepaid online at the Alexander Bar's website, or R80 if paid for at the theatre or booked at bar itself. Tickets can be purchased at the bar, which is situated at 76 Strand Street in Cape Town's city centre, anytime during its regular opening hours. Under 18s must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Keep up to date with events at Alexander Bar on Facebook and Twitter.