Gregory Maqoma confronts memory, identity and renewal on stage

Dance alone was not enough, neither were music and text

- By Mbalenhle Zuma

Gregory Maqoma says his newest production merges movement, live music and text into a layered theatrical experience.

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South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma is not interested in easy answers. With his latest production, Genesis: The Beginning and End of Time, the acclaimed artist leans fully into complexity, crafting a work that refuses simplicity in both form and meaning.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday World, Maqoma opened up about the thinking behind what he describes as one of his most expansive works yet.

Described as a “dance opera”, Genesis merges movement, live music and text into a layered theatrical experience. For Maqoma, this was not a stylistic choice but a necessity.

“The story demanded a language that could hold multiple truths at once,” he explained.

“Dance alone was not enough, and neither were music or text on their own.”

In this hybrid form, movement carries what cannot be spoken, while music and text hold emotional and intellectual weight.

The result is a production that reflects what Maqoma calls “the complexity of our existence”.