Vitality through movement

If you’ve been following the news, or cruising through the tunes of Namibian radio, you would have noticed the explosion of items on the young dancer, Nikhita Winkler. She is a hot topic at the moment with her dance, music and poetry production titled, Change. It was performed for the first time this week at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, together with a whole parade of complementary artists from various disciplines.
For Nikhita, dance is more then just swaying side to side, or sashaying with exuberant movements of the hips. For her, she says, it is a form of expression, a way of communication between body and soul.
The Economist earlier this week had the opportunity to talk to the enthralling young woman, about her dance production, her special message and her future plans.
Nikhita describes Change as a production that is about a growth process, a journey that signifies stages of separation from friends and family, that involve isolation, transition and incorporation. The artist orchestrates this Changes in life through the beautiful movement technique of improvisation. Nikhita says improvisation is the technique of “presencing” oneself, a thing that makes her dancing spontaneous, as everything the audience sees happens right there and then.
Improvisation is a free, seemingly unstructured, less technically strict and impulsive form that draws inspiration from everyday dance practices and influences. Nikhita also shared that the Change dance production includes dancers such as, Tuli Shityuwete, Dafe Disi, Marchell Gertze and Alicia Brandt, a fire dancer who will open the show. Collaborative performers include Lize Ehlers, Shalu Chisenga from Zambia, Tapz from Savannah Afros and poet Keith Vries.
The show highlights daily motivation – through music, poetry and dance – to battle through imprisoning thoughts, old habits that die hard, comfortable decisions and beliefs that no longer serve a purpose. Nikhita explains she studied dance and neuroscience, delving into her childhood passions of science saying “there is a link between the mind and movement, we live in a modern day life where the demand is mental which causes anxiety. I am really interested in helping people becoming fine-tuned with their intuition through “presencing” themselves by means of dance and meditation.”
Change is a production that not only serves to entertain the audience, but also to convey its perpetually blissful message.