Kwaai City - NAMA DANCE A `RIEL' HIT AT THE CAPE TOWN CARNIVAL
For the first time ever, the Riel - age-old dance of the Nama people - took pride-of-place at the Cape Town Carnival. Riel Dancers from Wupperthal, Elizabethfontein, Citrusdal Academy, as far as the Northern Cape, revived the dance to tell modern day stories of their lives. Floris Brand of Bushman's Kloof assembled the troop of eager dancers for the grand occasion - who danced the streets of Cape Town - to the traditional music of maestro, Bertie Zass and his band. And the crowds absolutely loved them!
Born out of traditional Khoi and San ceremonial dances around the fire, it has been practiced by descendants of these indigenous cultures for many years, most of whom were sheep shearers and farm workers across the Cape.
The Riel dance was very popular in the forties, fifties and sixties, but has been sadly neglected in recent decades. Dressed typically in traditional, farm-worker outfits - the women in dresses with aprons and old frontier bonnets, and the men in waistcoats and hats adorned with feathers, finished with the famous, hand-made red veldskoen -- these vibrant dancers were a `Riel' hit.
Popular Riel dances include courtship rituals, and mimicking typical animal antics along with lots of bravado, showmanship and foot stomping. It has only recently been revived through the efforts of writer and storyteller, Elias Nel of the Afrikaanse Taal & Kultuurvereniging (ATKV), who introduced the ATKV Riel dance competition in 2006, to ensure the survival of the dance and introduce the world to this wonderful, foot-stomping, cultural whirlwind.
KWAAI CITY is conceived, directed and produced by an enterprising team of interns on the Film Industry Learner Mentorship or F.I.L.M. programme (filmsa.co.za ; Facebook: Just-call-us-F.I.L.M.), an accredited, not-for-profit skills programme, guaranteeing aspiring, disadvantaged `filmpreneurs' full industry involvement in training and hands-on experiential learning and mentorship, on local and international film, commercial, television, mobile web & internet productions
.KWAAI CITY is a web-based programme featuring `What's Hot' - and by omission - `What's Not' in the Kwaai City of Cape Town, a seriously stylish, cosmopolitan residential and tourist hub at the Southern tip of Africa. Piggy-back on our production value and embed it on your site!
KWAAI CITY celebrates the City of Cape Town -- at 34º south 18º east -- undoubtedly the latitude with attitude. According to the UK's Daily Express, Cape Town -- voted one of the Top 10 Tourist Cities in the world - is `where it is all happening on the African continent.'
A magical setting in the majestic embrace of Table Mountain, offering cutting-edge conveniences, Cape Town is a global magnet of ready-made activity and entertainment -- people meeting, eating and chilling at one of Cape Town's premier entertainment events or venues, uber-trendy eateries, cafes, bistros, rustic restaurants, boutiques on mountains and beaches. Chances are KWAAI CITY is in the area.
KWAAI CITY covers `hip-and-happening' events in and around Cape Town. We also regularly feature much of what makes Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula one of the most desirable residential and tourism destinations in the world.
Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers - CLANWILLIAM TO THE CAPE TOWN CARNIVAL 2015
How South Africa’s Riel Dance Champions, Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers - gold, silver and bronze medal winners at the World Championships - journeyed from in and around Clanwilliam, to the Cape Town Carnival in March 2015...
KWAAI CITY is conceived, directed and produced by an enterprising team of interns & trainees on the Film Industry Learner Mentorship (F.I.L.M.) programme (filmsa.co.za ; Facebook: Just-call-us-F.I.L.M.), an accredited, not-for-profit skills programme and public benefit organization, guaranteeing aspiring, disadvantaged `filmpreneurs' full industry involvement in training and hands-on experiential learning and mentorship, on local and international film, commercial, television, mobile web & internet productions
KWAAI CITY is a web-based programme featuring `What's Hot' in the Kwaai City of Cape Town. Piggy-back on our production value and content & embed it on your site!
KWAAI CITY celebrates the wider City of Cape Town - at 34º south 18º east - undoubtedly the Latitude with Attitude. According to the UK's Daily Express, Cape Town - voted one of the Top 10 Tourist Cities in the world - is `where it is all happening on the African continent.'
A magical setting in the majestic embrace of Table Mountain, offering a bruising blend of first world, cutting-edge conveniences and relative under-development and poverty, Cape Town is a global magnet of ready-made activity and entertainment – and if it’s HOT & HAPPENING, chances are KWAAI CITY is somewhere there.
KWAAI CITY covers `hip-hot-and-happening', relevant events in and around greater Cape Town. We also regularly feature much of what makes Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula one of the most desirable residential and tourism destinations in the world.
Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers perform a riel dance at Bushmans Kloof
The revival of Riel dance in and around Wupperthal is a community initiative close to the heart of Bushmans Kloof and Floris Smith.
'Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers' riel dance troupe was born in 2012 when Floris Smith made one of his frequent visits to the nearby village of Wupperthal, reaching out to the youth by starting a riel dance project supported by Bushmans Kloof.
An ex-professional dancer, he was blown away by their energetic performance and fanatic footwork, and set about offering his assistance to choreograph and train them.