Choreographing Grief or the Choreopolitics of Joy

A reflective review of Cion: A Requiem for Ravel’s Bolero

Abstract

This reflection, provoked by André Lepecki’s notions of choreopolicing and choreopolitics, explores the potential of contemporary dance to propose new forms of political movement, focusing on the performance Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero choreographed by Gregory Maqoma and performed by the South African Vuyani Dance Company. This dance piece was performed together with the Soweto Gospel Choir and a talented beat-box artist, serving as a historical communal body that guides the audience through different moments of South African history, from colonialism and evangelization processes to apartheid and the struggle for liberation. The piece underscores the significance of corporeal expression in historical contexts. Bodies that have been consistently repressed and voices that have been muted find their strength in a sometimes delirious musical commentary on the power of rhythm and communality in carving out new spaces of possibility.