Dance Reflections Festival Showcases Embodied Memories

Works by Soa Ratsifandrihana and Robin Orlin evoke cultural dances and histories

Mar. 16, 2026 at 6:37pm

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The final week of the Dance Reflections festival featured two works that used the body as a tool for remembering. Soa Ratsifandrihana's solo 'Groove' was a collage of her own dance history, while Robin Orlin's 'We Wear Our Wheels With Pride...' evoked the Zulu rickshaw drivers of her apartheid-era youth. Both works, though theatrically frustrating at times, explored how choreography can embody cultural memories and personal histories.

Why it matters

The festival highlighted how dance can be a medium for preserving and sharing embodied cultural memories, even as it grappled with the challenges of engaging modern audiences. The works explored the tension between personal expression and the need to entertain, raising questions about the role of dance in reflecting and transmitting collective histories.

The details

In 'Groove,' Ratsifandrihana moved through a series of familiar dance steps - the Madison, the Macarena - as if recalling them from muscle memory. The work was a collage of her dance background, from the popping of her Toulouse childhood to the postmodernism of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. 'We Wear Our Wheels With Pride...' by Orlin was an evocation of the Zulu rickshaw drivers she encountered in her youth, with the dancers wearing horned headdresses and taking turns showcasing their skills on a hanging pole. The work aimed to immerse the audience in this historical experience, even asking them to participate in rocking motions.

  • The Dance Reflections festival took place over the month of March 2026.
  • Soa Ratsifandrihana's solo 'Groove' was performed at New York Live Arts.
  • Robin Orlin's 'We Wear Our Wheels With Pride...' was performed at N.Y.U. Skirball.

The players

Soa Ratsifandrihana

A French choreographer whose solo 'Groove' was a collage of her own dance history.

Robin Orlin

A South African choreographer whose work 'We Wear Our Wheels With Pride...' evoked the Zulu rickshaw drivers of her apartheid-era youth.

Moving Into Dance Mophatong

A storied dance ensemble in South Africa that produced the dancers for 'We Wear Our Wheels With Pride...'

Anelisa Stuurman

The vocalist whose impressive skills ranging from clarion call to animal growling helped bring 'We Wear Our Wheels With Pride...' to life.

Lesego Dihemo

The sole woman in the cast of 'We Wear Our Wheels With Pride...' who briefly woke up the show with her performance.

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What they’re saying

“Give us more.”

— Anelisa Stuurman, Vocalist

The takeaway

The Dance Reflections festival showcased how dance can be a powerful medium for preserving and sharing embodied cultural memories, even as it grapples with the challenges of engaging modern audiences. The works by Ratsifandrihana and Orlin explored the tension between personal expression and the need to entertain, raising important questions about the role of dance in reflecting and transmitting collective histories.