Alonzo King Lines Ballet Dancers X Black President {#Matatu15 Finale}

#MATATU15 concludes with the Alonzo King LINES Ballet dancers in an excerpt of "RASA," music by Zakir Hussain, followed by the North American premiere of BLACK PRESIDENT, directed by Mpumelelo Mcata and premiered at the 65th Berlinale. Lounge vibes and celebratory rhythms provided by DJ Wonway Posibul (Latin Soul Brothers/ThinkBeat Radio) __________ BLACK PRESIDENT What is Black Guilt? In this film we question the responsibility of African artists in an ever more globalised universe, where we maybe find ourselves "playing catch up" to the West as opposed to following our own paths. Are we victims of our past - forever beholden to our so called arrested development or is our superpower our burden? How much do these complexes and relationships to the ghost of our continent’s violent collective history of oppression, exploitation and struggle haunt us? Is there such a thing as Post Colonialism or indeed Neo Colonialism if Colonialism never ended in the first place? How will this end? When will we lynch these ideas? SOUTH AFRICA · MPUMELELO MCATA · 86 MIN · 2015 __________ RASA Rasa, a deeply evocative and shimmering piece, set to an original score by tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, which was called “an intriguing wonder” by the New York Times. Zakir Hussain’s mastery of classical Indian percussion and unique vision of world music have brought him worldwide renown, including a Grammy nomination, and his collaborations with Alonzo King renew classical forms in an entirely innovative way. Tabla music began as dancing music, in Northern Indian courts in the early 1700s, and its hypnotic intensity and complex rhythms convey the strong feeling that they are meant to move the body. Rasa is thus both a continuation of a deep tradition--the interdependence of dance and tabla music as art forms--and an expression of the contemporary global vision of both artists. ALONZO KING Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the unique artistic vision of Alonzo King. Collaborating with noted composers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world, Alonzo King creates works that draw on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. Alonzo King understands ballet as a science – founded on universal, geometric principles of energy and evolution – and continues to develop a new language of movement from its classical forms and techniques. Alonzo King’s visionary choreography, brought to life by the extraordinary LINES Ballet dancers, is renowned for connecting audiences to a profound sense of shared humanity. LINES Ballet has been featured at venues such as the Venice Biennale, Monaco Dance Forum, Maison de la Dance, the Edinburgh International Festival, Montpellier Danse, the Wolfsburg Festival, the Holland Dance Festival, and most recently Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris. #MATATU15 The Spectacular Walk of Ordinary People More Info below.