Jazzart Dance Theatre Unveils its New Identity

As 2017 comes to an end, Jazzart Dance Theatre celebrated its rich legacy and its future plans by unveiling its new corporate identity. The event took place on the 24th November 2017 at 19h00 at Youngblood.

Sifiso Kweyama, Jazzart's Artistic Director's vision is to develop an African-Contemporary dance aesthetic that draws inspiration from our historic and cultural past, that interprets and engages with our African present in all its diversity and complexity, to shape, influence and positively affect our African future.

'Jazzart has evolved over the years into a strong identity and it is time for us to develop an image that reflects who we are now. It was an invigorating next step in our evolution as a proudly South African contemporary dance company', says Kweyama.

Sifiso Kweyama and the Board of Directors Malcolm Higgins, Warona Seane, Janine Daries, Marcus Desando, Rashid Lombard and Richard Rhoda will share the strategic thinking behind the vision, mission and the corporate identity.

The new corporate identity material was designed by Christelle Dreyer and the Jazzart team. A fresh and simple design was chosen with only two colours. Grey, being neither black or white but a combination, a transition between the two. It too symbolises the maturity of the organisation, a stable base from which the new and positive can come. The second colour, which was also in the old logo remains to symbolise continuity. Orange, a fusion of the energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow portrays the everyday feeling of our trainees and dancers as they learn and grow in our studio and on stage; celebrating the uniqueness of their bodies and using them as creative instruments.

Says Malcolm Higgins, chairperson of the board: "We believe the figure is non-gender and reflects the new Jazzart language of dance. The emphasis on ZA depicts our uniquely South African dance philosophy that is rooted in the diversity of the culture and traditions of our country. We would like to thank our staff for their unwavering dedication, our old and new Board of Directors, Artscape Theatre Centre, Funders, Teachers, Community Partners and Alumni for their support in our endeavours to positively impact the lives of our dancers who dream and live through dance".

The evening ended with a short performance by Jazzart's third-year trainees. Joining them was trainees of their three-month training programme currently running in Tokia with Jazzart's partner, Chrysalis Academy.

Jazzart Dance Theatre, founded in 1973, is acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading contemporary dance companies renowned both internationally and locally, as an award-winning company that influences and preserves the sustainability of dance, choreography and dance performance. Dance is used as a transformation tool to integrate social awareness and cultural inclusiveness that embodies the nature of South Africa's Bill of Rights.

Through training, performance and inter-disciplinary collaborations with diverse role-players we develop multi-skilled performers and create work that promote excellence, innovation and social change.

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