Robyn Orlin: We wear our wheels with pride

This piece is presented by the Southbank Centre and Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Infused with a joyous thirst for life and an unyielding strength of resistance, We wear our wheels with pride and slap your streets with color… We said ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 is an homage to the rickshaw drivers of South Africa’s past.

In South Africa of the 1970s, at the height of apartheid, White masters were transported from place to place by Zulu men pulling brightly coloured rickshaws, a feat requiring a mixture of great strength and dexterity. Watching them, the young Robyn Orlin observed the ornate decoration of their vehicles and headdresses, as well as their sprightly, dance-like steps.

The period also coincides with the creation of Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM), a company nourished by Zulu traditions and a flagship for contemporary dance in South Africa.

Today, Robyn Orlin’s work with the troupe from Johannesburg constitutes a return to a common source. Dance, song and costume combine with explosive effect during this encounter between the MIDM dancers and the breathtaking singing of Anelisa Stuurman, also known as Annalyzer. In collaboration with the composer, Yogin Sullaphen, she has developed a style influenced by slam, local Khoisan tradition and research into new forms of modern music.