“Singing more than one part, telling more than one story, at the same time,
No voice surrenders its individual identity, nor does any one voice steal the show,
There is no front person, no soloist, no leader.”
“When I soften my hearing, something happens.
The many songs coalesce to make one song that doesn’t exist in any of the one voices alone.
It is an emergent song that I can’t find by unravelling the music into its separate strand!”
– “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake

Fast-paced sequences, rhythmic movements, and precise group choreographies characterise the South African dance isiPantsula, which is simultaneously marked by virtuosity and a spirit of
resistance. The subculture Pantsula emerged in the Sophiatown district of Johannesburg during the violent expulsion of Blacks during Apartheid. It became a shared expression and identity that unified the 11 ethnic groups of the country. The dance style isiPantsula evolved from traditional dances and theatrical gestures of daily life and was used as a means of communication during demonstrations.

YEBO YES! is a full lenght dance performance starring artistic leaders Joanna Holewa Chrona and Theresa Gustavsson from Sweden together with co-creating dancers and pantsula choreographers Sibusiso Mthembu, Patricia Gugu Mofokeng and David Mokale from South Africa.

The dancers blend isiPantsula with freestyle and club culture emphasizing character, individual expression, playfulness, unity and drive in an homage to the expressive power of this dance – an electrifying group dynamic and a strong community that never seems to end.

Premiere: 12 November 2021, Dansens Hus, Stockholm