Artist Spotlight: A Tribute to the Work of Sylvia Magogo Glasser: Dancer, Dance Educator, Choreographer, Social Activist, and Visionary

Article Information

Creative Arts Educ Ther (2023) 9(1):94–101 DOI: 10.15212/CAET/2023/9/2

Artist Spotlight: A Tribute to the Work of Sylvia Magogo Glasser: Dancer, Dance Educator, Choreographer, Social Activist, and Visionary

Abstract

It is a great honor to offer this article as a tribute to the enduring impact of Sylvia Glasser’s breakthrough accomplishments in promoting dance education and performance in the South African context. This article is based upon interviews with Sylvia, who currently lives in Sydney, Australia, as well as some of her colleagues and former students. In addition, it draws upon writings, websites, and articles that describe her work. I am struck by the humility of this extraordinary and numinous person who has influenced several generations of performers, students, educators, and dancers. She has challenged and broken down stereotypes and barriers during the apartheid years in South Africa and has irrevocably changed the landscape of South African dance with her introduction of the methodology of Afro-Fusion into the dance world beginning in the late 1970s. As the founder of the Moving into Dance Mophatong (MID) Training Program and Dance Company, Sylvia was the CEO, the fundraiser, the choreographer, and the driving force behind this momentous accomplishment. Along the way, she gathered and trained a group of accomplished dancers, educators, administrators, and choreographers. The work of MID continues and remains a living and iconic force in contemporary dance in South Africa today.

Keywords: Dance in South Africa, Afro-fusion Dance

摘要

我非常荣幸地提供这篇文章, 向Sylvia Glasser在促进南非的舞蹈教育和表演方面所取得的突破性成就的持久影响致敬。本文基于对Sylvia Glasser的采访, 她目前和她的一些同事和以前的学生住在澳大利亚的悉尼。此外, 本文还参考了描述她工作的著作、网站和文章。我被这位非凡的、灵性的人的谦逊所打动, 她影响了几代表演者、学生、教育家和舞蹈家。在南非种族隔离时期, 她挑战并打破了陈规定型观念和障碍, 并从1970年代末开始将非洲融合的方法引入舞蹈界, 不可逆转地改变了南非舞蹈的面貌。作为Moving into Dance Mophatong (MID) 培训项目和舞蹈公司的创始人, Sylvia Glasser 是首席执行官、筹款人、编舞者, 也是这一重大成就背后的驱动力。在这一过程中, 她聚集并培训了一批有成就的舞蹈家、教育家、行政人员和编导。MID的工作仍在继续, 今天仍然是南非当代舞蹈的一股活生生的标志性力量。

关键词： 南非舞蹈, 非洲舞