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Dance dance dance all the way


Cape Town - New dance drama Tjovitjo is heating up the TV screens on SABC1 from Sunday 20 August at 20:00.

The series pays homage to Kwaito SePantsula, a uniquely South African dance style by adding spice and drama to the story with dance-offs and a love triangle. Lodi Matsetela, Executive Producer of the series gives us some insight to the series.

How did this story or series come about/what inspired this show?
We, my partners and I, have a deep deep love for what makes us uniquely South African. In fact we try to create content that has that specificity, South African-ness, but we think this is precisely why people from elsewhere might be interested, because it’s not watered down.  SePantsula is quintessentially South African. We are always told things like boerewors and rugby are South African (commercials will tell you this). But Kwaito SePantsula… are solely, only and beautifully South African – and that’s the ingredient for any show we come up with or are inspired to make.

Why this story now?
There is nothing like it on TV. It’s of course inspired by other shows, but a stands alone. The language spoken, the people behind it making the show, the stories, the dancers, the process itself has been organic and the result are organic, they are real.

What is it like to be black and be a woman in the film industry?
I think in the beginning I was completely distraught at the sexism that I faced. But then again I was only 26 when we were commissioned Society (2007). So I was this young girl telling men twice my age what to do and also paying their salary. I never lauded this over them, but they definitely resented it. So I just worked around it, it made me angry, but I worked around it. And the sexism was from all men black and white, nobody appreciates a loud opinionated young girl, hopefully I haven’t completely lost touch with that girl, and she got me to where I am.

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