“The loss of her creative mind and spirit will be felt even more strongly in the future than it is now.” – Ballet Company Dirk Badenhorst
Late dancer Dada Mashiro will be buried in a private ceremony on Saturday, his family said.
“The family declined to allow the press to attend the funeral and burial as they wish to maintain their privacy,” a short statement from the Masilos confirmed.
The choreographer's death was confirmed by his family on Sunday night after a short illness. She was 39 years old.
She is survived by her mother, sister, and two nieces.
A memorial service is scheduled for the third week of January, and details will be shared once final arrangements are made, according to the Masilo family.
Also read: “The loss is incalculable. We cannot replace Dada, but her body of work is a legacy” – Gregory Makoma
A huge loss for the dance industry
Mashiro was a world-renowned dancer and choreographer whose career was the envy of many people around the world.
Masilo first came to the attention of the dance industry in 1996, at the age of 11, when she was invited to dance for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
talk to The CitizenMzansi Ballet founder Dirk Badenhorst said Mashilo's death was a huge loss to the dance community.
“This is a huge loss for ballet, dance and South Africa on so many levels: artistically and from a human perspective,” Badenhorst said.
Badenhorst, who is also the founder of the South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC), has performed with Mashilo in the past.
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“Influential figure in the dance world”
“I first worked with her as a young ballerina in 2001. She joined our ballet company. nutcracker “It was a precursor to today's Joburg Ballet,” he said.
Badenhorst said he witnessed Mashiro explode into the dance world after working together.
“[She] They were creating some of the greatest ballets in the world. Her outstanding achievements have been recognized both within South Africa and abroad. ”
In 2006, Mashilo was hailed by the judges of the Gauteng Arts and Culture MEC Awards as the 'Most Promising Female Dance in Contemporary Style' and won the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance at the age of 22.
In 2016, her work on “Swan Lake” was nominated for a Bessie Award in New York. A year later, her “Giselle'' won Italy's Danza&Danza Award for “Best Performance'', and in 2018 she won the Netherlands' Prince Claus 'Next Generation' Award 2018.
“I think the loss of her creative heart and mind will be felt more in the future than it is being felt now, because she was full of so much talent, so many stories, so much creative spirit. It's a really sad loss for all of us,'' Badenhorst declared.
At the time of her death, Mashiro was working on a new autobiographical solo work about the loss of a loved one.
Most recently, in early December, Mashilo was awarded a star on the wall of the Soweto Theater along with other respected South African artists.
“Thank you to Soweto Theater for celebrating and recognizing me. It means a lot to come from my hometown,” she asserted in a speech on social media.
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