Contemporary African dance meets modern West European dance forms: With «Mafalala 2» the CulturArte company from Maputo presents a creation by its founder Panaibra Gabriel. The young Mozambican choreographer and dancer is considered one of Africa’s most promising dance artists. His piece is an enchanting declaration of love to the people of Mafalala, an exploding suburb of Maputo. The evening opens with «Há Mais», a piece created during one of CulturArte’s regular collaborations with the renowned Belgian dance school P.A.R.T.S. Elaborated by Swiss choreographer and P.A.R.T.S. teacher Thomas Hauert in Maputo, the piece is as short and intense as a breathtaking display of fireworks: Traditional African movement patterns, stupendously interpreted by five Mozambican dancers, are juxtaposed with the expressive music
of Stravinsky to create a sparkling, individualistic piece of dance theatre. (esc)