Come One, Come All!

In a ‘Come one, Come all’ fashion for this shoot, the dancers were imaginatively transported back to 1963 in this 'time machine.' Upon entering such a curious model of transportation we were all in a sense ‘magically awakened.’  This retired Leyland OPS45 managed to entertain us as if the wheels still went ‘round-and-round.’ 

This shoot was sparked by Interpret Durban's annual creative competition. Our photos not only had to speak to the overarching theme 'concrete circus,' but had to highlight Durban's built heritage. Here, the dancers – creating lines with their bodies – puts in relief the architectural lines of the bus, forcing us to acknowledge the bus as a part of our built heritage in Durban. By implication, 'the dancer' is also highlighted as an almost forgotten remnant of the city.

Owner Steven Moses informed us that the bus was bought in 1963 for R10 500 and, remarkably, is still in its original colour. The bus ran in the Sydenham, Overport, and Clairwood area but was discontinued from public service around 2007 as the half-nose design of the bus made it difficult to drive. The bus is now parked in the owner’s garden in the Newlands area as there is no transport museum in Durban where the bus could be on display. This not only speaks to the need to preserve the heritage of our transport system but also the need for an architectural space in which such heritage can be viewed. By extension, dance, in particular Ballet, also deserves such value so as to preserve our artistic heritage.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Location: Saint Thomas Anglican Church, Durban

 

Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church, Berea, has its roots in a corrugated iron structure originally built in England. Through the financial assistance of the local community, this structure was transported from its original home near the Durban harbour and erected on Ridge Road, Durban, in 1864. It remained in use until 1899 when St Thomas on Musgrave Road was built. Its predecessor has since been demolished.

 

When we visited St Thomas Church for one of our shoots, we were overwhelmed by its aesthetic beauty and historical, spiritual significance. We wanted to capture the stained glass windows, the altar, and the organ as major contributors to the beauty of a building that has become a part of everyday life. The ballet dancer featured in all the photographs for this particular shoot is our very own Jann Esterhuizen. Enjoy!  

                                                                                                                                                                        

  

                                               

 

 

 

 

In this last photo, the windows shed a certain spotlight on the dancer. Highlighting an art form in our beautiful city of Durban. The dancer is reminiscent of a universal expressiveness found in all corners of a city, with people as performers in their everyday lives.

 

 

All images belong to the creators of Making Lines, Jann Esterhuizen and Melita Vurden.

For more information, or to purchase any images, please contact makinglines@gmail.com

Check us out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MakingLines

 

Welcome

Welcome to Making Lines. Inspired by the Ballerina Project (New York) and the beautiful city of Durban, this project aims to revive an almost forgotten art form at street level. Making Lines brings to the fore an art form – ballet – that has a certain instability in the city of Durban. In contrast to the “Ballerina project” (New York), which endeavours to highlight the “heart and emotions” of ballet dancers, Making Lines has a more material purpose: that is, to create a fleeting moment of the dancer in our everyday surrounds. The dancer simultaneously becomes of the city and distinct, in an attempt to re-energise a public that no longer enjoys a resident ballet company. The images that create a photographic trail of dancers throughout Durban, therefore, not only highlight the plight of young dancers in our city, but also open a dynamic space in which we can re-conceptualise the dancer within the city.

The title, ‘Making Lines’, refers to the various ‘lines’ dancers create as a result of the correct positioning of their body. This alignment includes not just the body, but the eyes, chin, and even the fingertips. It is this same ‘line’ that also exudes feeling, thus creating infinite lines of expression and affirmation of a dancer within the architectural ‘lines’ of the city. The dancer and the city are then connected through the medium of photography.

With its rich history and diverse culture, Durban is certainly the perfect playground for this project. This collaboration of art forms brings new possibilities to people who, having carved their own lines within the limits of the city, will discover infinite ‘lines’.

 

Pictured here: Nikita Koumantarakis (left) and Tayla Ross (right)

 



 

                                            

 

  

 

 

 

 

All images belong to the creators of Making Lines, Jann Esterhuizen and Melita Vurden.



For more information, or to purchase photographs, please contact makinglines@gmail.com
Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MakingLines