Sheung Wan Civic Centre｜Asia+ Festival 2025: "We wear our wheels with pride" by Robyn Orlin

Description

An exuberant ode to life, We wear our wheels with pride bursts onto the global stage with unstoppable energy. Created by Robyn Orlin, the South African choreographer honoured with the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement, this piece pays homage to the Zulu rickshaw drivers whose resilience and creativity shone brightly in adversity. 

Once seen on the streets of South Africa, the drivers turned their labour into a form of art, adorning themselves with feathered headdresses, flamboyant cow horns, and tunics decorated with fringes and pearls. They painted their rickshaws with vibrant colours and pulled them with a bouncy, dance-like gait, turning streets into runways of expression. Orlin reimagines this spectacle on stage with South Africa’s flagship contemporary dance company Moving Into Dance Mophatong, rooted in Zulu traditions. The dancers blend tribal motifs with urban style, morphing into swirling, multi-coloured hues — an echo of the Rainbow Nation’s spirit — projected onto giant screens. The music fuses Khoisan chants, slam poetry, electronic beats, hip-hop and Afrofusion, creating a unique soundtrack that perfectly complements the visuals.

Globally revered for her bold theatricality and concepts, Orlin captivates European audiences with this work radiating joy and vitality.