Figure of Eight Dance Collective comes of age with Grant and Shaun - A Double Bill of Dance

The Architecture of Tears was inspired by a study of 100 Tears Photographed Through A Standard Light Microscope, conducted by Rose-Lynn Fisher in 2013. It was afforded space on the Baxter Dance Festival programme shortly thereafter, and at the 2015 Dance Umbrella earlier this year. Now they are back with their first 'solo' season, Grant and Shaun - A Double Bill of Dance, at the Baxter Theatre this week. Audiences were consistently blown away, astounded by the infinite capacity of Grant and Shaun, in particular, to engage with each other physically and emotionally. Their connection is the kind that makes dance partnerships famous. Their performance magnetism goes deeper than pure technical ability. When they are involved in a work that honours the contemporary idiom favoured by Alfred Hinkel, who mentored them through Jazzart Dance Theatre's three-year Adult Training and Job Creation Programme and later as Jazzart Dance Company members, they simply soar.

Sensitive choreographic direction

Key to the success of The Architecture of Tears is the sensitive choreographic direction by Ananda, who worked with Alfred for 15 years as dancer, teacher, choreographer, rehearsal director and coordinator, and the casting of Thabisa and also, in this season, Ciara Barron, who came through the same training programme under Hinkel's regime. Ciara certainly rose to the occasion on opening night, dancing the woman's role in the trio for the first time as Thabisa was abroad until midway through the season.

Ananda, Shaun and Grant share a short history of making great work together. They were involved in the Baxter Theatre Centre and Sweden's Scenkonst Sörmland's collaborations of I Hit the Ground Running in 2013 and Struck Silent in 2014, which enjoyed seasons locally and in Sweden. And in another 2014 highlight, Shaun was a cast member and Grant a choreographer for Lara Foot's Fleur du Cap multi-award-winning Fishers of Hope.

The men truly shine technically, having had the added benefit in recent years of working under the neoclassical influence of Debbie Turner's Cape Dance Company, but, overall, what the group achieves in this piece, repeatedly, is unparalleled in delivery. Their suspension and fluidity of movement (Shaun is untouchable) and their ability to transport you into their world through a mesmerising musical selection and lighting plot elicits standing ovations every time.

A change of pace

The interval marked a change of pace, in a way, with the premiere of Most Honest Man, by UCT graduates and 2015 Baxter Theatre Centre artists-in-residence Mdu Kweyama and Alex McCarthy. The production is enabled by the Rolf-Stephan Nussbaum Foundation with Mdu heading up direction and choreography, with dramaturgy and assistant direction by Alex.

It is no less frenetic and energy sapping, taking a hard look at the relationship between Shakespeare's Othello and Iago. Their power struggle is clear, as is their battle with issues such as trust, virtue, and isolation. What provided much room for debate was the set. Without programme notes, the niggling, teasing, even ferocious interaction between the two protagonists could have been interpreted as an expression of the futility of war. The seemingly aimless shifting and packing of sandbags in a war zone was too protracted an introduction for some audience members, who posed questions about the possibility for progressing the story in a less linear fashion. They were looking for a more developed storyline in what could be argued as a physical-theatre piece.

The symbolism conveyed by the ever-increasing sizes of the red-scarf props prompted further debate. These things are often open for interpretation. Charged with sexual tension, in line with the directors' exploration of the Othello/Iago relationship that further explores jealousy, and its power to destroy, the choreography suddenly gets so violent that you begin to fear injury. All it takes is one wrong move in a brilliantly danced fight scene!

Fellow dancers in the opening-night audience declared finding new inspiration for their own work and teachers noted Grant and Shaun's coming of age as Figure of Eight Dance Collective co-founders and directors. There can be no greater accolade from contemporaries.

Kudos goes to the Baxter Dance Theatre for affording Grant and Shaun the opportunity to strut their stuff on home turf. Let's hope it pre-empts an invitation to an international platform.

Grant and Shaun: A Double Bill of Dance runs until 18 April, at 7pm nightly, with a matinee on Saturday, 18 April at 3pm. Ticket prices are R60 for the matinee and R100 for all other performances. Booking is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000, online at www.computicket.com or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For discounted corporate, schools or block-bookings, charities or fundraisers, contact Sharon on +27 (0)21 680 3962, email az.ca.tcu@draw.norahs or Carmen on +27 (0)21 680 3993, email az.ca.tcu@snraek.nemrac.