Celebrated South African contemporary dancer Dada Masilo dies at 39

South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo poses on Sept. 26, 2012, in Lyon, central France.[VOA]

The dance world mourned Tuesday the internationally acclaimed South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo, who died in the hospital over the weekend at age 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," family spokesperson Bridget van Oerle said in the statement, announcing her death.

Among the most recent in a series of acknowledgements of her work, Masilo in September received the Positano Leonide Massine lifetime achievement award for classic and contemporary dance, which praised her 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 U.K.-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 U.K. and around the world," it said.

Extraordinary role model

Masilo was best known for her iconic re-invention of the great ballet classics such as Swan Lake and Giselle, said Lliane Loots, artistic director at the JOMBA! dance center 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 by the Italian Danza and Danza Award, 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."