2. Superstars of Dance - Solo - South Africa - Week 3 - Semi-finals

[ElenOriental]

That is Amazing! Those judges are absolutly borring! they are ready to see standart only,

I am imprest by her!

[imakecostumes]

I LOVE IT!!!

[junow2]

As a classical ballet dancer I have to say that was AWESOME. I find it controlled, strong, spirited and really beautiful.

[mariinskylover9]

at 2:21 that kid is staring like what the hell is she doing?

[PrinceChris93]

That Was AMAZING!!! The Judges B!tched and didnt like it cause it wasnt that Peaceful ballet Craapp. But this very much like swan lake just done more different and Not as boring

[ChocolateInsanity911]

I loveloveloved her. I thought she was absolutely amazing and her dance was always very disciplined. The expression of pain she displayed on her face and how she portrayed everything... It was awesome. I was pretty sure what this dance was, was the death of a swan. Not a dance of a chicken.

[032490mf]

Dam! that be one ugly skank. Lose the white. It does not look good on you

[BunnyPryde]

these judges know nothing about dancing!!

[gabrielladepaula1995]

Yes, she stily is bizarre! But dance dont have limits! She is inoveted!

She really fells the music and show her emotion into this dance and this is what should matter!

SHE IS A REAL DANCE! People dont like who is not into the sistem!

sorry for something that i wrote wrong; my fist language isnt english

[CorwynCelesil]

Chicken? She looked like a bird, truly like a bird, rather than like the stylistic impression of a bird that you get in Swan Lake. Though I dearly love the stylistic impressions of ballet, I am highly impressed by the magnificent realism of her dancing.

[NostradamusPages]

fdg

[Antoinette1793]

wow she was rude didnt even wait for the poor man to finish talking to her i liked her routine but i agree with some of the others on here that the swan is suppose to be graceful even thought her routine was nice is was more full of pain then grace

[mamohato]

this is brilliant...

[dominicgeorge87]

She's pissed.. Probably more sportsmanship please~

[misstaniajo]

this is far from terrible! it is simply OUTSTANDING!!! who are you to judge this work of art - it clearly has no link to chickens or ballet. It is simply ART!

look at her amazing technique and strength - if she was actually trying to do ballet im sure she would give pro ballerina's a run for their money! kudos to her and i think she is amazing :)

[GrzonasPL]

a swan doesn't move that way!

[angelaskathryn89]

she is amazing! i love her!

[lovejoypain]

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds"

-Albert Einstein.

This is a case in point.

[PiNkpRo]

omg amazing! dying swan

[vaakkU11]

Oh gosh I think this is so amazing I love it so much! <3

[scorpioninpink]

.,challenging the art is the purpose of this woman in life... I salute her dancing, I salute her and I also salute her style... She is so wonderful... I like this than her first performance wherein she is like a giggling snake...

[HenkDanceSA]

Who does any of you think you are, writing comments here about "What Dance" and "What Art" is?! This was not a Ballet Solo, and was in no means meant to diss Ballet or "The Dying Swan". . . It was a contemporary solo, and who can honestly define the boundries of contemporary dance?! Contemporary means NOW! Mamela might have used a piece of music from Swan Lake but what she did was to create a piece of Dance/Art work that defines what she does and who she is. . . She is absolutely AMAZING!

[nalib11]

this dance along with the bharanatyam indian solo were underrated! her performance incorporated the cultures outlook. its not a fusion so much as it is a change in a people's perspective. too bad judges forget that dance is about movement and innovation. the american soloist shouldn't have made it as far as he did.

[LaughingTiger17]

some of these judges are messed up. they always score less than they should...i dont like the description of this video either :(

[Nabael]

um, ooooooookay...

[balletguy101]

I dont care what u all say about her style but you can not argue her grace and beauty... in my opinion these judges are completley messed up.... they do not need to juge based on the style of dance from their country but rather on what is dance... she was NOT making fun of any dancer or type of dance in the world.... she is expression she is beauty and she is dance..... do not argue with me because you will lose :P she deserved to win moe than anyone I think

[ad2338]

Mamela broke away from standard European dancing styles and practically made fun of European and American traditions/culture, as shown in her reinterpretation of Swan Lake and ballet movements. This doesn't mean her performance is less than dance. Personally, I loved the performance because she dared to question what is art. Art doesn't have to be a straight back and pointed toes. Art is a person's creative voice, which Mamela best executed on the show compared to other performers.

[SilverInsanity]

This isn't Swan Lake, the music is by Saint-Saens and was used by Fokine in his Dying Swan.

[balletomane393]

She disgraces the Mariinsky Theatre. Offensive and disrespectful to Fokine's Dying Swan (Not Swan Lake, which is Tchaikovsky, Dying Swan is by Saint Saens).

[ad2338]

Mamela's own dying swan is not supposed to honor Fokine's, but rather reinterpret Fokine's portrayal of "dying." When Fokine's swan dies, we are able to see the beauty in the bird before the last bits of life seeps out of it. Here, "dying" reveals beauty, grace, stength, and calmness. Mamela's swan dies a violent death and we see it as it struggles and clings to life. Here "dying" reveals struggle, pain, and violence. The two dances aren't to be compared, but rather contrasted.

[LuckyMe90]

I absolutely loved this dance... Just today I had a critique in class and the age old question came up a couple times of "is this really art (or just entertainment)?" Dance is usually entertainment, but this piece was so much more... it had an amazing concept and it was beautifully crafted. This artwork was purely stunning.

[LaughingTiger17]

wow she was amazing! she reminds me of one of alvin ailey's dancers because she is so beautiful and inspiring! Awesome! :)

[Aj830]

this has got to be one of the best interpretations of the dying swan that i have ever seen

amazing.

any idiot can see that

[powder319]

I'm so glad there r many people who feel the same way I do. Mamela absolutely was the best soloist. She created her own more realistic African interpretation of Swan lake. I was very disappointed when she couldn't continue n the competition. The competition seemed like a bunch of critical judges who 4 the most part didn't have respect 4 different cultures and placed too much emphasis on European standards of dance technique.

[ad2338]

SHE WAS THE BEST SOLOIST ON THE SHOW!!!!!...... the show was a joke. It was sooooo bias!

Don't a couple of the "international judges" work in America?

[ph1in]

"Don't a couple of the "international judges" work in America?"

And if they do?

[ad2338]

Being that a lot of the judges work/live in America, they seem to have such a Eurocentric standard for dance. Just think about all the individuals who won on the show: the USA team, a Russian ballerina, an argentine tango couple (though from Argentina, this dance is very much influnced by European dances, like the Waltz), and breakdancing (which is all the rage in Europe). The show was blatantly bias and geared towards an American and European audience.

[shoojir312]

I believe it has been produced for commercial reasons rather than respecting and enjoying the real ART. It's a TV program for influenced by American pop culture like any other american production, for advertisement and making heros.(ie the title of the series which is always a SUPER something!). We are not in a professional theater , what do you expect?!

[DarkPeachTree]

I agree, I thought she was underappriciated, I actually liked this more than her first performance and was shocked at the judges reaction. Agreeing with Mike, it didn't matter if they liked it or not, but they didn't even understand.

I don't think she was trying to do a ballet, she was trying to show a swan dying and it was scary how spot-on she made it look, especially with the way she moved her neck.

[bathembu]

Its not ballet you idiots,its the 21st century wake up and appreciate the artist!!

[chonitodancer]

I really think she was underappreciated...

[MikelMidnight]

It was immediately clear to me what the dancer was doing: she was combining traditional European ballet moves with traditional African tribal dance. I thought it was an amazing and innovative piece and I am stunned that not a single one of the judges ... even if if they DIDN'T LIKE what she did ... seemed to UNDERSTAND what she did. Her receiving low scores like that was a scandal, and then a girl who dances like a stripper gets 10's ... the show became a joke to me at that point.

[antisocialist87]

She actually has a better emotional connection to this than a lot of dancers do. She's added a unique touch to it, which I like. Granted, she's added a bit too much shaking to it, but I don't mind it, actually.

I would have preferred to see her in pointe shoes though. It's irresistable to see a woman as beautiful as her in pointes. I would absolutely ADORE to see her do this en pointe.

[karibai]

I thought her performance was beautiful and showed amazing skill. It may not have been to everyone's taste but it certainly showcased her talent and was entertaining. I can't believe that the judges were unable to see the quality of her performance.

[mistymonee]

She's Stunning

[NatashaVVP]

I agree with the previouse comment - she freaking looks like she's having seizures.

[alonsouklm]

Her body control is something no one in this forum could equal. It's outstanding how well she knows her body

[screamingnightmares]

I look at al the comments by everyone and I wonder what performance were they looking at? I suppose that I'm so used to the delicate, precise, and /beautiful/ style of ballet I know that I failed to see the beauty in this. I've got to agree with the maker of this video, she looks like a Chiken shoved into a tutu while they have tremors/a seizure.

[thethingkid]

It should be illegal to be that beautiful. That is the ideal woman. Feminine yet powerful. You won't find that delicate balance anywhere else.

[BUSFELI]

That was an incredibly captivating performance. I am not one for ballet, but this was so strikingly dynamic, real, yet unusually sophisticated and graceful. I think the judges were out of their depth...Argentina; 'I like you, but I am going to give you a seven.'

[greekgoddess857]

what was the song she was dancing to??

was it from swan lake??

[egomi24]

No, its call "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saen from his Carnival of Animals.

[greekgoddess857]

actually its called "The Dying Swan"......but thanks for ur incorrect answer......=]

[musicfinatic2008]

omg...that was too good...does she have anymore videos on here? I would love to watch her perform in person

[DancinDM]

This piece was everything dance is... innovative, captivating, beautiful, musical... it is beyond words. She should have had a 10. I've never seen a real swan act more like a swan than she portrayed. MAGNIFIQUE!

[megeleg]

This was brilliant. The interpretation and her emotional commitment is enough to speak for itself.

[magicskarf]

she was definitely robbed!

that was so raw.. and.. i don't know how to put it into words. It makes me cry.

[Tibly]

WWOWOWOWOW !!!! ALL OF MY HAIRS STOOD UP !!! BULLSHIT !!! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A 10. THESE JUDGES DON'T KNOW SHITTT!!!!! that's for sure..

[BrownicanTwin]

Tibly,

I agree, totally!!! They aren't used to seing a strong beautiful swan, they wanted to see the same delicate ballet swan crap they are used 2! Who is the US judge? Never heard of him!

[ph1in]

What does the US judge have to do with it, he totally pandered to her. I wouldve given her a 3 or 4 and thats being generous.

[BrownicanTwin]

I just want to know who this guy is because . . . I have NEVER heard of him! (if you know of his significance and why he was chosen to represent the thoughts of the US, let me know.) And I hope you can do better than she did. Just try that one day and see if you can be as strong and expressive as she was- It's IMPOSSIBLE!

[were2cheap]

Best performance thus far. Gave me chills watching it. It was a brilliant interpretation of the classic dying swan.

[faething]

I was totally impressed by her dance. I think the judges were too harsh one her. They didn't seem to get the point. It was so emotional and passionate, what dance SHOULD be! I'd rather watch this than some guy in jeans doing pop and lock.

[ChicanoLA]

She Was Robbed!

[iloveseverus]

I believe this was a successful merging of two very different forms of dance. She incorporates the passion and energy of African dancing into the beautiful and constrained ballet. It was very brave to present this piece because it would, undoubtedly, be misunderstood, and often when something is not understood, it is ridiculed, as clearly this piece has been.

[sequose]

Oh dear lord what has she done! :o

She looks like a rabid pigeon!

I can't believe she marred the beautiful music of Saint Saens and Fokine's mesmerizing choreography with this twitching catastrophe!

I know that she must be "brave" but she did the same thing in her previous performance, a little variety would do her good.

[antisocialist87]

Well, have you actually ever seen a swan actually die? There's nothing graceful about it.

[KungFuMonkeyy]

Loved it, was she a swam,flamingo or a ostrich?

It was beautiful.

[iloveseverus]

She is dancing to "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals.

[u2oocbono]

Brilliant. She was the swan. It was more beautiful and poignant than a traditional ballet performance.

[KungFuMonkeyy]

oh ok

[suigenaro]

look up other youtube vids for "The Dying Swan" to see the classic ballet upon which this is based.