Dancing Dolly-dolls will entertain you

Shadrack Mahlangu (29) from Waterval is an artist who specialises in a less common art form – that of ‘dancing dolly-dolls’. He uses his dancing dolly-dolls to entertain people around Vhembe district.

“People seem to love my art, because whenever I perform, they shout and call for me to do more,” he said. “It’s so amazing how a small artist like me can have a large crowd of people eating out of my hand.”

Mahlangu explained that the amazing, versatile moves of his dolly-dolls are not found in the dolls as such. “If you want to do this kind of work and excell at it, you need to have active hands to control the strings attached to the dolls, so that they can dance as you wish. I also started dancing to music at a very young age, and it’s the reason why I am able to make my dolly-dolls dance like this.”

Mahlangu originally came from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga and arrived in the Vhembe district as a labourer at a construction company some years ago. When the project was done, he chose to remain behind in Limpopo, but the only challenge was that he was left without employment. “Somehow, I remembered how I used to craft art objects as a young boy back in Nelspruit,” he said. “I thought, and thought that, yes, I must make dancing dolls. Today I use this couple to entertain people in public spaces.”

After creating his dolls and staging public performances, people started calling him Mr Dolly-dolls because he walked around with his dolly-dolls. “I laughed a lot when I heard people calling me Mr Dolly-dolls,” he smiled. “But it also felt good because people were now identifying me with my work. It still feels good, indeed.” His dancing creations are made from old clothes, thin strings, wire, water bottles, normal doll’s heads and baby shoes. “It’s a guy and a girl; they dance – I tell you, Sizwe and Thembi (dolly-dolls) know how to twist their waists!” laughed Mahlangu.

His audience stood and watched him in amazement at Elim on Saturday. “This kind of art is wonderful!” said Timhaka Ngoveni, a resident at Valdezia. “I have seen this man a couple of times. And each time when I see him, I stop to watch him dance with his ‘little people’. I first saw him in Thohoyandou some time last year.” Those who are interested in Mr Dolly-Dolls’ art can contact him at 073 268 8850.

Entertainment - Date: 17 July 2014

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]