#44

Arts of Main Rooftop Salsa

Ah my gosh! If I was doing a count down to the number one place to dance in Gauteng, this would most definitely be the top. Well, I am jumping ahead of the other 44 places still to be discovered - so it would be in the top of the top selection at least.

On the roof top, on the top of Johannesburg, in the sun, with a cold beer and the hip swaying rhythms of salsa tunes getting your feet a-jiving.

Every Sunday from 12noon until about 5pm. Before this you can browse through the Arts of Main market from 10am, drinking Ethiopian coffee, eating hard bitter sweet Ecuadorian chocolate and, to line your stomach before the beer arrives, Indian curry, schwarmas or Ethiopian Injera.

Here is a link to one of the videos of the salsa afternoon sessions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpV4ThCgi-g&feature=youtu.be

~Where there is dance, there is life~

Jahazi ahoy!

The Jahazi Literary and Jazz Festival kicks off again this year with spectacular performances and live readings. All in my favourite city in East Africa - Stone Town, Zanzibar.

If you are wondering what a Jahazi is... It is a large boat of the dhow variant. So ahoy, ahoy, ahoy!

Find out more at http://www.jahazifestival.com/

(And if you are going, please save space for me in your suitcase so I can come along with you!)

A walk on the lighter side of life. And Jo'burg

In the streets of Johannesburg...

Fig. 1: insert ballet barres, ballet rehearsal space.

I went for a walk the other day, a walk through Braamfontein. I had taken the Gautrain from Centurion to Park Station and I was on my way to a meeting with my supervisor-to-be at Wits (I'm starting my MA there next year 2013).

My project is going to deal with public urban space, how it is used, how it can be adapted and reclaimed.

I went for a walk the other day, a walk through Braamfontein and I saw so much public space that can be used to fill the city with little pockets of vibrant activity.

Fig 2: break dancing?

Fig 3: Parkour/urban freerunning

Fig 4: parkour and break dancing. Maybe even capoeira?

Fig 5: The roof, the roof, what can be done on the roof? Ballet, capoeira, break dancing.

Fig 6: ballet, capoeira, break dancing

Fig 7: capoeira, capoeira, capoeira

Fig 8: using public space; true space

Street Talent

I wish I could give yall more but camera went on the blink so I don't have any of my own material... So here are two videos of the Red Bull Beat Battle(credit redbull.co.za)

http://www.redbull.co.za/cs/Satellite/en_ZA/Video/From-the-Streets-to-the-Stage--Video--021243215966544

http://www.redbull.co.za/cs/Satellite/en_ZA/Video/Red-Bull-Beat-Battle-Some-lights,-few-cameras-and-021243217507767

Word.