Local Intel: Rudi Smit

Cape Town’s own dance dynamo, Rudi Smit, has been setting stages alight. Known for his electric choreography, deep love for the local dance scene, and his fierce loyalty to his UntimitiveDance crew, Rudi is all about movement with meaning.

We caught up with him fresh off a whirlwind tour to Europe to talk creative recharge spots, favourite city haunts, and the dancefloor that never fails him. 

You've just come back from Germany, tell us about it - what was the most exciting part?

I was on a small European tour in Germany, Amsterdam, Paris and Malta for about 3 weeks, which was really fun!

I think the most exciting part was going to the small town of Bonn and getting to see the theatre that I’ll be working in at the end of the year for two months, as I go there to choreograph the opera called Il Barbiere Di Siviglia with South African director, Matthew Wild. 

When you're hosting international dancers in Cape Town. Where are you taking them to eat, drink, and get a feel for the city?  

To eat, I’ll take them to Hacienda.

For drinks, I’ll take them to Kloof Street House.

To get a feel for the city, I’ll take them out to a First Thursday and hop from spot to spot in town! 

Where's your go-to spot to catch live music or a DJ set in the Mother City?

If there’s ever a Strictly Soul event, that's where I’d go! It’s always a viiiiibeee and the music gets progressively better as the night goes on, every time!

And of course, your favourite local dance floor? Also, what’s the track that will always get you on it?

Favourite local dance floor has got to be Zer021. If I am ever out, that’s most likely where I’ll be and that’s a rare occasion these days! Right now, Tyla, it would get me on that floor immediately! 

What's one spot or thing that every visitor to Cape Town needs to experience?

This would not have been my answer a few years ago, but right now I would say that a Lion’s Head Hike is a must!

I’ve been living here my entire life and only went up last year for the first time.

I really get why people fall in love with going up there so frequently. It’s insanely beautiful and I would hiiiighly recommend! 

What’s a Cape Town (or SA) stereotype you’d love to break through your work?

I feel as though for a long time, there have been many people in SA who have this mentality that the standard of work or artistry that comes out of our country is just not of a top-tier level or not “good enough” on a global level.

But with the rise of someone like Tyla and seeing how well she is received globally, it does feel a little like that ideology has shifted and people are now realising that there is so much talent that comes out of SA and that we too can be successful in our respective career paths within the arts.

Tyla’s success is now putting eyes on SA creatives as a whole because people are starting to do their research and make an effort to explore what the SA creative arena has to offer in general.

A couple of years ago, I would have felt very different about this statement, but now I feel like we have a lot of global representation in dance from South Africa, and it is steadily growing as well.

It’s about time! 

Best place to recharge creatively, when the music stops and you need to reset?

Now and then when my partner and I feel like we just need a break and need to recharge, we love to find a nearby getaway spot, still in Cape Town, for a weekend, and we make a point of it to just relax without the pressure of a deadline or work commitment and take time out for ourselves.  

Preferably, something with a jacuzzi or a private pool. I love swimming and being in water. It’s something that I always want to do when I just want to relax and take my mind off work. 

You’ve worked with entertainers and performers from across the world, which experience stands out and why? 

I think one of my favourite experiences was working on Honey 3 here in Cape Town and getting to work with Cassie Ventura. This movie brought together so many different corners of the dance world in Cape Town, and it felt so special to be a part of a project where everyone was so unified and where we could put South African dancers and dance on film, as part of a huge dance franchise we all grew up watching.

It brought together so many dancers and created so many special bonds. Beyond that, Cassie was so lovely to work with and eventually became a friend as well. She is such a wonderful person, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with her and get to know her on a personal basis. 

What do you think South African dancers bring to the global stage?

We just have a unique essence to us that separates us from the rest, and I can’t even put into words what that looks like.

There is just an innate understanding of rhythm and movement, and a natural power, fire and energy behind our movement that sets us apart!

In South Africa, in particular, there are also so many different dance styles that we are exposed to, so it feels as though there’s a rich melting pot of various styles and a unique blend that comes to light when you put different elements and inspirations of dance together. 

What's the one incredible location you'd love to use as a backdrop for a choreography scene, whether in Cape Town or anywhere else in the world?  

I have always wanted to shoot something huge at the Paarl Taal Monument. There is this cool “alien-spaceraft-like” obelisk with a very cool surrounding area that I have always wanted to shoot something at! It’s at the top of my list. 

What are you most looking forward for the year ahead?

I have quite a few exciting projects that I will be a part of for the remainder of the year, and I am excited to slowly but surely get to work on everything and put some new work out there! I have had such a busy year, and I have been plodding with posting and releasing new work, so it’s time to refocus on that again for a while! 

 

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