What Dada Masilo's Hamlet Reveals About Dance Storytelling

Julia Wagner · 2026-05-26

When a choreographer takes on Shakespeare, expectations run high. Dada Masilo's recent production of *Hamlet* delivers plenty of visual drama, but it also leaves you questioning whether the story truly lands. As someone who spends their days thinking about how movement communicates meaning, I found myself both impressed and frustrated. Masilo is known for her bold, physical style. She blends classical ballet with contemporary African dance, and her *Hamlet* is no exception. The stage bursts with energy, costume changes, and striking tableaus. You can't look away. But here's the thing: spectacle doesn't always equal clarity. ### The Visual Feast From the opening scene, Masilo grabs your attention. The dancers move with raw power, and the ensemble work is tight. There's a moment where Hamlet's madness is shown through a series of jerky, almost puppet-like gestures that feels genuinely fresh. The use of space is clever, too, with actors constantly shifting the audience's focus. But after about twenty minutes, the pattern becomes predictable. Big movement, sudden freeze, another big movement. It's like watching a fireworks show—each burst is exciting, but you start to wonder if there's a narrative thread holding it all together. ### Where the Story Gets Lost Shakespeare's *Hamlet* is dense. It's about grief, revenge, and the paralysis of overthinking. Masilo tries to capture all of that, but she often sacrifices plot for effect. Key scenes blur together, and unless you already know the play, you'd be hard-pressed to follow the actual storyline. The Ghost appears, but its significance is muddled. Ophelia's descent into madness is hinted at but never fully explored. For dance professionals, this raises an important question: how do you balance spectacle with storytelling? - **Choreography should serve the narrative**, not the other way around. - **Every gesture should carry meaning**, even if it's abstract. - **Audiences need anchors**—a recurring motif, a clear character arc, or a musical cue—to stay oriented. Masilo has all the tools to be a master storyteller. Her technical skill is undeniable. But in *Hamlet*, she sometimes lets the medium overshadow the message. ### What Works, What Doesn't Let's give credit where it's due. The music selection is inspired, mixing traditional African rhythms with Western classical pieces. The dancers are exceptional, and the physicality is impressive. There's a duet between Hamlet and his mother that's genuinely moving, showing what Masilo can do when she slows down and lets emotion breathe. On the flip side, the pacing feels rushed. Scenes change so quickly that you never get a chance to sit with a feeling. The ending, in particular, feels abrupt. Hamlet's death should hit like a punch to the gut, but instead, it's just another tableau in a long string of them. As a designer, I often think about the user journey. In dance, it's the emotional journey. You need peaks and valleys, moments of tension and release. Masilo gives us peaks, but the valleys are missing. Everything is turned up to eleven, which means nothing stands out. ### Lessons for Choreographers If you're a choreographer or studio owner, there's plenty to learn from Masilo's work—both good and bad. Here are a few takeaways: - **Trust your audience.** You don't need to explain everything, but you do need to guide them. Give them something to hold onto. - **Edit ruthlessly.** Just because a movement looks cool doesn't mean it belongs in the piece. Ask yourself: does this serve the story? - **Vary the intensity.** Not every moment needs to be explosive. Quiet moments make the loud ones louder. Masilo is a visionary, and I'd rather watch her take risks than play it safe. But *Hamlet* feels like a draft that needed one more pass. The bones are there, but the flesh is still forming. ### Final Thoughts In the end, *Dada Masilo's Hamlet* is a vivid, ambitious work that will spark conversation. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a reminder that dance can tackle big ideas. For those of us in the field, it's a case study in both the power and the pitfalls of physical storytelling. I walked out of the theater with my head full of images, but my heart slightly empty. Maybe that's the point—Hamlet is a tragedy about someone who can't act. But I wanted to feel more, and I suspect I wasn't alone. If you get a chance to see it, go. Just don't expect a clear-cut retelling. Expect a wild ride, and bring your own interpretation.