Fiona Gordon: Dancers of all ages and walks of life graced the Artscape Opera House stage in a tribute to the late great Prima Ballerina Assoluta Phyllis Spira.
Celebrating its 20th year of existence, Dance for All pays fitting tribute to an icon that was and remains an integral part of the organisation, and mentor to many. Accepted into the Royal Ballet School at just 15 years of age, Spira went on to join of the ranks of the Royal Ballet Touring Company. Turning down a blossoming international career, in favour of the opportunity to perform for her home crowds, she returned to South Africa, and went on to dance in legendary partnerships with Gary Burne and Eduard Greyling until an injury on the opening night of Giselle in 1988 forced her retirement from the stage.
Compared by people of consequence to the likes of Alicia Markova and Margot Fonteyn, Spira left an indelible imprint of the performance landscape of this country – through her performing career, which happened at the height of this country’s ‘ballet heyday’. The students of DFA’s twenty year history would not have had the opportunity to watch her perform, but they have been able to experience her magnetism in a different way. Involved with the project from its inception, Spira became an indelible part of the organisation, and lives of the children involved with the programmes, with her partner, current CEO, Philip Boyd. “Phyllie” remains an inspiration to these younger generations of dancers in the impact she had and continues to have on their lives, daily, through the existence of the organisation and the life-skills which it aims to impart.
With the opening numbers, we are reminded of this source of the inspiration, as stars of the past return to the stage in a tribute to their colleague and mentor. A showcase of dance in the city, with guest performances by the Cape Dance Company, Cape Town City Ballet, Cape Junior Ballet, the University of Cape Town School of Dance, Jazzart Dance Theatre and the young men from La Rosa Spanish Dance Theatre – all of whom boast products of the DFA system amongst their members – in their moving tributes to the legend.
For a programme that boasts more than 1500 participants across the greater Cape area, I felt it a pity that more did not have this opportunity to grace the Opera House stage, as many of the same faces and movements were seen in repetition. However, products of the various Dance For All training programmes take to the stage in various forms – from the pink leotards and bright smiles of the littlies, to a performance by members of the erstwhile InSPIRAtions Dance Company, all a tribute – as sung by Aviva Pelham and up-and-coming star, Mbongeni Moyakhe – to the ‘Power of the Dream’.
Having performed internationally, and now a member of the DFA teaching staff, product of the programme, Noluyanda Mqulwana pays a spellbinding self-choreographed solo tribute to Phyllis, using a waist-height flybar as her ballet barre base.
Some ‘interpretive dance’ from Soli (Philander) and ‘the Arch’ (-bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu) who also features in an impromptu pas de deux of sorts with Western Cape Premiere Helen Zille, has the audience in stitches.
Mixing his fairy-tale metaphors, Tutu articulates, beautifully, of the purpose of Dance for All – as a means of finding many feet to fit the satin slippers of the illustrious swan.
Two Decades One InSPIRAtion – the 20th Celebration Gala and a tribute to Phyllis Spira, was held at the Artscape Opera House on 1 August 2010.
See www.danceforall.co.za for details of upcoming events, and how to support the organisation.
Fiona Gordon
fiona@artslink.co.za
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