As Cape Town Opera prepares to lift the curtain on its bold staging of Verdi’s Aida at Artscape this May, all eyes are not only on the powerhouse vocal cast but also on the transformative choreography shaping the experience. At the helm of this charged movement direction is celebrated South African dancer and choreographer, Gregory Vuyani Maqoma.
For Maqoma, this opportunity is more than a commission – it’s a calling to take creative risks. “I agreed to Aida when Magdalene [Minnaar] spoke to me and said it’s not the usual Aida that we want to do. We want to reinvent and take a little bit more risk. And that excited me, the taking of risks.”
Indeed, Minnaar’s direction invites fresh interpretations of the timeless opera, offering Maqoma the choreographic freedom to express his distinctive style and layered aesthetic. Known for his ability to convey narrative through the body with emotion and intention, Maqoma brings a nuanced vision that stretches beyond traditional operatic staging.
Born in Soweto in 1973, Maqoma discovered dance as a way to navigate the turbulence of apartheid-era South Africa. His formal training began at Moving into Dance (MID) in 1990. By the time he founded Vuyani Dance Theatre in 1999, he had already established himself as a rising force in global contemporary dance. His career has since spanned choreography, direction, and collaboration with international creatives such as William Kentridge, Akram Khan, and Faustin Linyekula.
With Aida, Maqoma’s approach is both visceral and intellectual. “I’m coming in with the aesthetic of Gregory Maqoma,” he says. “You will see the nuances. And also, I think it pushes me as well in terms of working with a set score and how you can inject rhythms into that score.”
Working closely with dancers from Jazzart and the entire cast, including soloists and the Cape Town Opera Chorus, Maqoma’s choreography blurs the line between movement and music. “We’ve had the pleasure of working on sometimes going against the music, but finding the synergy at the same time,” he explains. “That has been rewarding, I think, for the production. It doesn’t feel like I’m choreographing eight bars, but I’m choreographing eight bars plus, plus, plus, on top of the eight bars.”
This layering, he says, is not always visible in the obvious sense. Some gestures are so subtle they register as emotional shifts rather than overt dance movements that deepen each performer’s engagement with their role. “Sometimes it’s little things that are not obviously noticeable as choreography, but for me, they just elevate the performer’s ability to be emotionally engaged with the character.”
That transformation is most striking in the chorus. Far from being a static ensemble on stage, the 52-member group becomes an active storytelling vehicle. “The chorus is moving. And they are storytellers; they’re not just singers on stage,” Maqoma explains. “They are being activated in so many ways.”
This decision not only modernises the performance but also responds to the contemporary opera audience, which may not be fluent in Italian or opera tradition. “Not everybody gets opera,” Maqoma acknowledges. “And this is a heavy one.” He recognises the challenge of keeping audience members who may be new to the genre engaged and turns that into an opportunity: “It’s about that sensitivity of finding and showing that the landscape continues to shift and change. The landscape of bodies continues to shift and change in space.”
The production is rooted in a distinctly local energy. Maqoma promises to “bring new life into it, to bring new rhythm into it.”
Rhythm, in fact, is central to this production’s identity – emerging not only from the orchestra or the vocal score but also from the silences, the stillness, and the subtle pulses of movement. “Absolutely. I’m hearing things in the silence,” he affirms. The result is an interpretation that honours Verdi’s original work while animating it in unexpected, innovative ways.
This all-South-African staging of Aida – featuring stars like Nobulumko Mngxekeza (Aida), Nonhlanhla Yende (Amneris), and Lukhanyo Moyake (Radamès) – promises not only world-class vocals under conductor Kamal Khan but also a full-sensory theatrical experience. Minimalist set design by Louis and Nadine Minnaar, innovative costuming by Roman Handt, and cutting-edge animation from Albino Creations complete a production that is both reverent and revolutionary.
As Maqoma works with the entire cast to elevate the opera’s emotional power, he reminds us why choreography matters – not only in dance but in opera, theatre, and life. “I treat them not as dancers. I treat them as performers. And they know that.” And in his hands, Aida becomes something entirely new: a body of work reawakened.
Performances take place on Friday 23 May at 7pm, Sunday 25 May at 3pm, Tuesday 27 May at 7pm, Thursday 29 May at 7pm and Saturday 31 May at 3pm. Tickets cost from R190 through Webtickets and Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 0214217695.
