“A bright light has gone out”: the dance world mourns on Tuesday the internationally renowned South African dancer and choreographer, Dada Masilo, who died this weekend in hospital at the age of 39. Dada Masilo died suddenly on Sunday after a short illness, a family spokesperson said in a statement.
Born in township Soweto, described as an energetic and fearless dancer who broke the rules, she brought African dance rhythms to classical European roles in a career that spanned two decades.
“Deeply respectful of European and contemporary musical traditions, but unafraid to take the stage and express her own opinions, she has effectively changed the form and vision of contemporary dance in South Africa,” said the family spokesperson, Bridget van Oerle, quoted in the press release.
Winner of numerous local and international prizes, in September she received the Positano Leonide Massine Prize for her entire career in classical and contemporary dance, an award which saluted her revisited versions of the great classics of romantic ballet, drawing inspiration from the African dance to talk about the society in which she lived and tolerance beyond borders.
“A brilliant light has gone out,” declared the Joburg Ballet company, saluting “Masilo’s creative force as a choreographer and his wisdom as a human being.” “Her groundbreaking work reshaped the world of contemporary dance and her spirit will continue to inspire generations of artists and audiences,” writes the Department of Arts and Culture at the University of Johannesburg.
The UK-based Dance Consortium, which toured twice with Dada Masilo in that country, called his death “a tragic loss to the world of dance”. “His fresh perspective, extraordinary presence and stunning creations have captivated and inspired audiences and artists across the UK and around the world.”
Masilo was best known for her iconic reinvention of ballet classics like “Swan Lake” and “Giselle,” said Lliane Loots, artistic director of the JOMBA! from the University in KwaZulu-Natal. She used her “remarkable talent as a ballet dancer” to fuse this form of European dance “with the rhythms and (…) her own history of African dance,” added Lliane Loots.
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