Amagoduka

Amagoduka is an African dance show by Soentjie Thapedi (?-).

The original text

From Xaba: "The title refers to itinerant mineworkers who travelled from South Africa’s rural areas and from southern countries bordering South Africa to various mines in the country. The men were yearly economic migrants who were housed in hostels, some of which were located in Soweto and Johannesburg. Thapedi told the migrant’s story through dance, movement and poetry. Amagoduka focused on the experience of a rural family of twelve. The narrative followed the character of the mother who was “left behind when all her children move(d) to Johannesburg in search of work in the mines, following drought and dispossession in the area.” The dance follows the way in which the character “suffers the trauma of the separation.”

Performance history in South Africa

1989: Presented at the Funda Centre featuring dancers from the Soyikwa Dance Project.

Sources

Andile Xaba. 2021. 'Collective memory and the construction of a historical narrative, analysis and interpretation of selected Soweto-based community plays (1984–1994)'. Unpublished PhD thesis.

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