Thereafter, Maqoma will travel to La Passerelle in Saint-Brieuc, Théâtre National de Bretagne in Rennes, Maison de la Musique in Nanterre, Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, Maison de la Danse in Lyon and Bonlieu Scène Nationale in Annecy before wrapping up its season at Le Dôme Théatre in Albertville on Tuesday, 31 March.

Alongside choreography by Maqoma, direction by James Ngcobo and costumes by David Tlale, a key defining feature of Exit/Exist is its musical score, which won a prestigious Bessie Award at the New York Dance and Performance Awards in 2014 for Outstanding Music Composition/Sound Design.

The work’s evocative music was composed by Simphiwe Dana, with guitar arrangements and accompaniment by Giuliano Modarelli and stirring harmonies and additional composition by vocal quartet Complete.

Exit/Exist sees Maqoma channelling his ancestor, Chief Maqoma, a 19th-century Xhosa warrior who fought against the encroachment of colonialism in the Eastern Cape and paid the price by dying in prison on Robben Island, in a quest to make sense of modern-day realities.

Maqoma, who this year celebrates 25 years in contemporary dance, is riding the crest of a wave as Vuyani clocks up new milestones and navigates new horizons.

He says the current Exit/Exist tour – which is among the company’s many local and international engagements this year – came about as a result of Vuyani’s close relationship with Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, which is a co-producer of the work.

"Whenever we showcase in Europe, there are usually many other programmers who are attracted to our work, and in that manner we get invited to other performance platforms," Maqoma explains.

"Europeans have a great appreciation for the arts and for African movement, and are also keen to look beyond their own borders for new and exciting work."

Fresh from a resoundingly successful performance at the Metro FM Music Awards in Durban on, Vuyani Dance Theatre's artistic effervescence is also permeating its development programme. The company's outreach programme protégés will perform during the Department of Basic Education’s National Teaching Awards at Gallagher Estate in Midrand on Saturday, 7 March. 

Vuyani Dance Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, the National Arts Council and Business & Arts South Africa.

Exit/Exist is co-produced by Theater de la Ville (Paris), KVS (Brussels) and Dance Umbrella (Johannesburg).

For more information, visit www.vuyani.co.za, email [email protected] or follow the Vuyani Dance Compnay on Twitter.