Yes, Durban is Still Under Construction

Yes, Durban is Still Under Construction


With every sidewalk in Durban torn up and pedestrians chased into the road, I couldn't think of a more fitting show to go to than Under Construction, the second incarnation of the Break-Thru Dance Company's inaugural production. So I dragged my flatmate out on a Thursday night and we headed to Suncoast.

Having seen an enjoyed the show last year when it debuted at The Church in Florida Road, I wasn't sure what to expect from an 'upgraded' production. I was once again blown away by the talent onstage, though, and it's ambitious mixture of classical, contemporary, and street styles of dance.


The previous production, while good, felt a bit like a dress rehearsal. The costumes seemed cobbled together, the venue was unorthodox, and the whole thing had a feeling of ohmygodicantbelievewedidit.

Now we see what Taryn Makaab and company can really do with proper support. The Suncoast Zone, it turns out, is an excellent theatre (despite their bizarre insistence on forcing people to buy drink coupons. That makes a weird sense at a concert when people will be hanging around for hours, but only adds an extra queue at a more formal show where you'll probably have just one or two rounds.)

But enough about booze. Ms. Makaab has pushed her dancers to the limit, showcasing everything from ballet en pointe to krumping, breakdancing, contemporary, tap, and everytihng in between, all accompanied by the incomparable beatboxer Drumkit, whose act has tightened considerably from the last show, where it tended to lag on the occasional tangent.


The extent to which the dancers stretched themselves was intermittently evident when a few were less confident in some styles than others, but the varied nature of the show let everyone show off their best sides.

Highlights included an emotional, how-much-can-you-throw-me-around duet between Makaab and an exceptional male dancer whose name I unfortunately missed, battle-style performances from the krumping crew Genesis, and a group number set to Roisin Murphy's Ramalama Ding Dong.

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What Others Said

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BTDC said
on 19 April 2010

A review of my show:-)