Review: PULA! Makes Rain On Broadway

Pula is the name for rain in Botswana, and its importance is great to this semi-arid country. On August 23 and 24, 2018, the I Love Botswana Ensemble performed PULA! at the PlayStation Theater. PULA! is a fictional folk tale in music and dance about the relationship between the people of Botswana and rain.

My interest in the dance forms of different cultures, and in African dance in particular, has taken me to a wide variety of performances. So I was curious to see if the dance styles of Botswana are similar to the West African dance I used to study or if it's closer to the Zulu dance of South Africa with its stomping and high kicks.

What I found is that the style of Botswana, at least as performed by this company of 45 extraordinary dancers and singers, is characterized by intricate footwork more than kicks or the hip movements I'm accustomed to seeing in other types of African dance.

In the story of PULA!, a young woman is given the task of taking over the job as Rainmaker, which requires that she set off on an adventurous search for ways to bring rain to her people. In the process, she travels through the inland delta of Botswana, as well as the savannas, where she consults people, animals, and plants for wisdom.

The evening's performance started with an exuberant opening song, "Mono Botswana," but included a number of emotional colors and costume changes before the night was over. Often, the entire company sang with some particularly memorable soloists. At times, they carried baskets or tall feathers, or they wore fringed shorts and horned headdresses.

A scrim at the back of the stage allowed for projections, often of Botswanan vistas. The band was behind the scrim and could be seen on occasion, including conga drums, marimba, a drum set, a keyboard, a guitar, and a saxophone.

Lone Thabang Motsomi, who played the Mmapula or Rainmaker, showed us that taking over the difficult and important job was quite painful, but this section didn't involve a lot of action. So the evening lagged during this portion, especially since the show was two hours without an intermission.

Other than that one slow period, however, PULA! was an exhilarating night of high-energy, virtuosic dancing and singing, as directed and conceived by Mr. Andrew Letso Kola. The company is a collaboration between several of the country's best dance companies, brought to New York thanks to Battery Dance and the Botswana Tourism Organization.

Photo Credit: Juliana Crawford

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