Last month I got the chance to go and watch two friends of mine debut a piece they’d been working on. Anticipation was high, as I’d also never seen them do their thing. Zandile and Zanele Salukazana (ZanTwins) have been making their names known in the dance world for a bit now but it only seems like the beginning for them, as they look to explore more of themselves and their capabilities. The routine they performed was the first time they’ve done something together just as the two of them. What drove me to talk about their routine and subsequently them was their concept of ‘Duplexity’ presented through their performance.

It’s a fact that as people we are not one-dimensional beings and it’s important that we’re able to acknowledge that. It can lead to us neglecting parts of ourselves that need attention or healing, which can all be done in a healthy manner.

It also doesn’t hurt being twins to further help with getting the idea across, because sometimes people can make the mistake of regarding them as one person rather than individuals. 

Starting their journey in high school, first just as a passion, going to after-school dance programmes, they then made the decision to pursue dance as a career; heading to UCT to study it further. Originally focused more on Hip-Hop routines, once they started going to school for it, a new world was introduced to them. Especially the idea of performance art and being able to use dance as a way to tell a story through movement. Fast forwarding to today, they’ve built a nice lane for themselves in not just dance, but some modeling on the side with recent Sneaker Factory and Hi-Tec ads, with many more other projects on the way. They weren’t alone in putting this together, helping give them a platform was the Babayaya Dance Company during their Young Choreographers Residency showcase directed by Tanzley Jooste and Leroy Samuels, produced by Benjamin Nivison.

The Young Choreographers Residency is a new initiative aimed at elevating emerging choreographers and artists who want to use their craft and artistry to uplift and reimagine the way they approach creation. They are provided with rehearsal spaces, morning classes and workshops on choreographic techniques and tools. One of their alumni, Nico Masepe, has gone on to lead his own group based in Phillipi called Roots where teenagers are given training and a platform to explore their dance passion. This is a perfect example of good leading to more good. Dance isn’t necessarily my thing, but I love supporting art and people that do good work all round, so keep a lookout for the ZanTwins and show some support to the Babayaya Dance Company.