A photo posted
by Chris Saunders (@mrmofosaunders) on
Profiled in a recent New York Times (NYT) photo essay, South
African photographer Chris Saunders says his love of the pantsula dance culture
stems from its spontaneous and makeshift energy and the positive message the
dance's champions
are trying to spread.
"The guys are trying to spread a message of better living through the dance,"
he told the NYT Everywhere you walk down a road, there's kids playing, people
dancing, people barbecuing, it's (has) a vibe. It's street culture."
What started as an eight-week assignment for Dance magazine
soon turned into a six-year obsession with the art and artists of pantsula.
As described in the NYT article, pantsula is defined as combining "precise and
technical footwork and house music, (while using) hectic city streets as their stage,
surrounded by traffic, pedestrians and vendors". The dance moves are steeped in
history, both cultural and political, and rooted in the African
sense of community
and the joy of freedom of movement.
A photo posted by Chris Saunders (@mrmofosaunders) on
And it is not merely a dance of improvisation and spontaneity, with many
dancers forming well-coordinated troupes that practise long hours to come up with
the best and most original routines. For many in the townships, the pantsula dancer
is both a hero and an entertainer.
Together with German
writer Daniela Goeller, Saunders set out in 2012 to
comprehensively document the real story behind the dance, intent on recording the
art form's greater significance in modern South African youth culture. "There is no
coherent documentation about this dance form, its history, where it comes from,"
Goeller said in the NYT article. "There is really an opportunity to gather this
information so this culture can be recognised."
A photo posted
by Chris Saunders (@mrmofosaunders) on
Saunders explains that he didn't want to focus on the negativity that surrounds
the reality of a lot of people's lives in the pantsula scene. "I wanted to focus on the
dance, the beauty of the culture and what they're trying to portray to the world."
Goeller, Saunders and four of the most respected pantsula dancers in
Johannesburg have since founded the Impilo Mapantsula
collective. It
unites over 50 pantsula troupes from around Gauteng, supporting their professional
development and improving their personal circumstances.
Proceeds from Saunders' photography exhibitions around the world, as well as
a book with Goeller that documents the history and culture of pantsula, will
contribute to helping the dancers fulfil their dance dreams and personal goals.
Pantsula is a lively dance form that originated in the black townships of South Africa during apartheid. Modern pantsula dance moves have developed into a fun and energetic form of social commentary for young black South Africans on the political and cultural changes in the country.(Image: South African Tourism, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)
More about South African art, dance, literature, theatre, music.
SA's National Anthem - Pulling together two anthems, five languages - and over 44 million people. South Africans, take ownership of your song! SA's National Orders - Reflecting the inclusiveness and diversity of the new SA, our peoples and our place in the African continent. Mapping new views of Africa
The Parliamentary Millennium Project contrasts Western, Eastern and African forms of mapping to shed new light on 'the dark continent'. Humankind's cradle - The world's richest hominid site, home to 40% of all human ancestor fossils. A short history of South Africa
Take a brief tour through our dramatic history: from the earliest inhabitants through colonisation to the discovery of gold and the war that followed; from the evolution of black resistance through three decades of crisis to the eventual death of apartheid.
Pantsula is a lively dance form that originated in the black townships of South Africa during apartheid. Modern pantsula dance moves have developed into a fun and energetic form of social commentary for young black South Africans on the political and cultural changes in the country.(Image: South African Tourism, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)
SA's National Anthem - Pulling together two anthems, five languages - and over 44 million people. South Africans, take ownership of your song! 
SA's National Orders - Reflecting the inclusiveness and diversity of the new SA, our peoples and our place in the African continent. 
Mapping new views of Africa
The Parliamentary Millennium Project contrasts Western, Eastern and African forms of mapping to shed new light on 'the dark continent'. 
Humankind's cradle - The world's richest hominid site, home to 40% of all human ancestor fossils.