World of dance mourns death of ‘brilliant light’ Dada Masilo at age of 39

The dance world is mourning the internationally acclaimed South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo, who died in hospital at the weekend aged 39.

Masilo died unexpectedly on Sunday after a brief illness, a spokesperson for her family said in a statement.

Born in Soweto, she was described as a sprite-like, energetic dancer and a fearless rule-breaker, who brought African dance motifs to classic European roles in a career that spanned two decades.

“Deeply respectful of European and contemporary music traditions, but unafraid to go bare on stage and voice her own opinions, she effectively changed the shape and appearance of contemporary dance in South Africa,” said the spokesperson, Bridget van Oerle.

In September, Masilo received the Positano Léonide Massine lifetime achievement award for classic and contemporary dance, when she was praised as “powerful and topical”.

Her revisited versions of the great classics of romantic ballet drew on African dance to speak of the society in which she lived and of tolerance across borders, the award announcement said.

“A brilliant light has been extinguished,” the Joburg Ballet company said, praising Masilo’s “creative force as a choreographer and her wisdom as a human being”.

“Her groundbreaking work reshaped the world of contemporary dance, and her spirit will continue to inspire generations of artists and audiences,” the University of Johannesburg’s arts and culture department said.

The UK-based Dance Consortium, which toured with Masilo in Britain twice, called her death a “tragic loss to the dance world”.

“Her fresh perspective, extraordinary presence and stunning creations wowed and inspired audiences and artists across the UK and around the world,” it said.

Masilo was best known for her reinvention of the great ballet classics such as Swan Lake and Giselle, said Lliane Loots, the artistic director at the JOMBA! dance centre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

She used her “remarkable skill as a ballet dancer” to meld this European dance form “with the rhythms and intentions of her own histories of African dance and of being South African”, Loots said.

In 2016, Masilo’s Swan Lake was nominated for a New York Bessie award and the following year her Giselle won best performance at the Italian Danza and Danza awards, the family statement said.

In 2018, she won the Netherlands’ Prince Claus “next generation” award, where she was described as an “extraordinary role model for young people and girls”.