It was a triumphant moment and an eruption of celebration when Oscar Buthelezi, Moving into Dance Mophatong’s Vosloorus-born dancer and choreographer, was unanimously announced winner of the 2016 Kurt Jooss prize.
Triumph and joy were palpable when the judges - Martin Schläpfer, Reinhild Hoffmann, Nils Christe, Dr. Patricia Stöckemann and Andreas Bomheuer - announced their choice.
Buthelezi has walked a long and difficult journey, becoming a world recognised dancer and choreographer at the age of 25. It is also fitting that this global acknowledgement comes following his visceral and athletic piece, aptly titled, Road.
Road analyses the dilemmas of the paths we take and choices we make. It is a poetic and poignant duet – performed alongside fellow MIDM dancer and rehearsal director, Muzi Shili – about navigating to where we want to be and defining the route that guides us there.
The prize was awarded at a glamorous event in Essen, Germany on Saturday evening. Over 70 choreographers from 26 countries put forward their choreographic works for judging.
From these, three finalists were chosen by the international selection panel, including Buthelezi, who went on to clinch both the high profile choreographic prize and the Audience Choice Award – the first time in history both awards have gone to the same choreographer.
The talented 25-year-old’s Road has been staged on a number of platforms in Africa, including: the Spring-Loaded Festival in Gauteng in 2014, the National Schools Festival in Grahamstown in July 2015, the My Body My Space Festival in 2015 and was well received earlier this year at the MASA (Market For African Performing Arts) Festival in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Buthelezi said he was emotional, elated and overwhelmed, and saw his success as an achievement for South Africa and MIDM on the world stage, he said.
