On 12 July 2022, NASA published images from the James Webb Telescope of galaxies over 10 billion light years away. While our ability to capture the light of ancient galaxies propels us closer to an idea of futurity, it also serves as a reminder that perhaps we are not as far along as we think. Collaborating again for this new creation, South African collective Impilo Mapantsula and Jeremy Nedd dig deeper into topics that navigate entangled avenues of Black diasporic and Afrofuturist experience. They present their exploration through the lens of Pantsula. This powerful dance form, well known for its high-speed virtuosic footwork, gave voice to an entire generation during Apartheid. Focusing on the improvisational potential of Pantsula’s movement vocabulary in response to the cosmic and spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Bheki Mseleku, the performance draws on phenomena found in the cosmos as metaphoric inspiration: from the birth of a galaxy to the death of a star. Connecting the powerful and lyrical jive style of today’s Pantsula while echoing “past” struggles against oppression, the performers contemplate the compression of space and time, and our illusions of progress towards the future.

Jeremy Nedd is a Brooklyn born choreographer and performer who is currently based in Basel. Nedd has had engagements at the Semperoper in Dresden (2010-2012) and Ballett Basel (2012-2016). As a guest performer he is associated with Schauspielhaus Zürich, where he has worked with Trajal Harrell. Nedd has realised and presented his previous productions at Kaserne Basel, ROXY Birsfelden, Arsenic – centre d’art scénique contemporain, Palais de Tokyo and Münchner Kammerspiele, amongst others.

Impilo Mapantsula is a global network of high-level professional dance artists who specialize in pantsula, a South African urban dance form. They are a professional organization that promotes the development of pantsula dance and culture, creates formal standards, and acts as an industry representative. The organization aims to document and protect the living legacy of pantsula and support dancers in professionalizing and further developing their art. Impilo Mapantsula creates learning opportunities and supports artistic creation and self- expression through educational, artistic and professional programs, with an emphasis on job creation, international collaborations and exchange programs.