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Cape Town - A Feast of Flight presents Alistair in Wonderland this July - a first of its kind pole dancing spectacular presented to you by the instructors and students of The Pole Project in Cape Town, in collaboration with The Scar-Lit Box in Claremont.
The show was created with the intention of embracing the artistic side of pole dance and to give dancers the opportunity to showcase their strength and skills, not only to their family and friends, but also to the general public.
At pole dance annual showcases and competitions throughout the year, students practice and present their own separate acts for a niche market, but A Feast of Flight is unique in that it will be the first time in South Africa that a pole dancing production will be entirely choreographed and managed by the instructors, presented by both students and instructors, and where all the acts are linked and interwoven with a storyline.
Owner of The Pole Project and producer of A Feast of Flight - Alistair in Wonderland, Kathy Lee says: "A Feast of Flight is intended to change public perception and introduce people into our community, where pole dancing is recognised as a truly beautiful and acrobatic performing art. A vertical apparatus is used to express ourselves and tell a story through dance. The name, A Feast of Flight, was chosen as the show is a stimulation of the senses with vivid characters, breath-taking choreography and the art of flight, because we believe that what we do as pole dancers is fly!"
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll was chosen as the theme for the inaugural A Feast of Flight (2017) because of its recognised storyline, but also its crazy and colourful characters that are incredibly fun to bring to life. So, what can you expect to see at A Feast of Flight - Alistair in Wonderland? A modern twist on the much-loved classic, expressed through dance with a male lead character.
Lee adds; "Our very own quirky, personal touch is to navigate through Wonderland through the eyes of a male protagonist. Alistair has his own story to tell, which may or may not be the same story as the original Alice we all know. Having a male pole dancing lead challenges stereotypical perceptions that pole dancing is only for women."
A lot of work initially went in to conceptualising the story and translating that into pole dancing acts, expressing emotions through body movement without the use of words. From there the team had to decide on characters and select the right performers for each act. The instructors at The Pole Project and The Scar-Lit Box have been hard at work on choreography, and rehearsals started in May. The team now moves on to costume and set design while continuously rehearsing until the big day.
Lee concludes: "The most challenging part is that none of us are professional performers. Most of the performers you will see at the show are everyday individuals with full-time jobs. Committing the time and energy that is needed to produce a slick and professional dance production is really quite remarkable, plus having to come up with creative solutions for props and costumes given our limited budget. As with all "firsts", and being a pioneer in this respect, I am a little nervous but also extremely excited about A Feast of Flight and tremendously proud of everyone involved with the show."
A Feast of Flight: Alistair in Wonderland will show on Friday, 28 and Saturday, 29 July 2017 from 19:00 21:00 at the Nassau Centre, Groote Schuur High School, 77 Palmyra Road, Newlands.
Tickets for the event can be bought via Quicket at R290.00 per person.
(Photos: Lindsey Appolis)
