The Mayor who dances like no one�s watching
Spira Tlhankane | Friday February 23, 2018 15:57
Remember she charmed the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Eric Molale into dancing during the 2015 Goodhope-Mabule by-election campaign.
I once saw her get the urbane VIP guests on their feet during a music festival. Charma Gal basically gets us on the dance floor every time and without her some events would be infinitely more boring.
Public figures dance all the time and I don’t usually pen about such dance scenes unless the dancer dances like no one else.
I recently encountered Gaborone City Mayor Kagiso Thutlwe getting down to Charma Gal’s performance at Mascom’s 20th anniversary celebrations in GICC and I just couldn’t let it go because of the emotional significance of the scene.
The Mayor is not new to this, the joy of life. But his emotional state and dance moves spoke volumes about Charma Gal’s music bug.
Clad in a navy blue suit and his happy socks exposed, Thutlwe was connected with each of Charma Gal’s novelty hits during the performance. Speaking of happy socks, this is the same man who trended last year with his fashion craze at State of the Nation Address.
Now back to GICC, people were swarming towards the stage, but the Mayor was just behind them conducting his mini-dance show.
With female acquaintances next to him the Mayor was in a world of his own and for that moment only, nothing seemed to exist.
It is never an easy feat to dance like no one’s watching when indeed people are, but the youthful Mayor remained spiritedly himself as the Mmokolodi song rattled the ambiance of GICC.
Some people joined in and surrendered, but Thutlwe’s swagger and attitude ruled.
From the way he turned around like the late Michael Jackson I could observe that this dance or love of it, is no pretence. The mayor’s love for dance could be seen as he moved as easily as he sang.
The floor would not let him but I think given the chance he could have attempted the gliding steps that formed MJ’s signature Moonwalk.
I flashed the camera towards him and he couldn’t care less. Like these talented dancers in the Step Up movies he created a series of his own choreographed dance sequence.
I for one could not come up with the perfect angles to capture the moves properly.
He would take a step and spin around like it was the simplest thing to move a piece on a puzzle.
He would take a brief break before channelling his inner self as if he was a Tai Chi master. The mayor’s moves were entertaining like karaoke singing.
I am referring to the kind of moves that could talk a child into believing that he could fly like Superman. Thutlwe didn’t move like a baller, he was one.
The way his legs wiggled he looked like he was about to show us a skateboard trick. You could tell from his hips that this man could tackle any song from any genre.
At that point I felt that next thing, he was going to execute acrobatic routines like a high profile Hollywood stuntman. By the looks of it, he was tired of running the same marathon and following the same trails.
He had finally found his running challenge with the Charma Gal music enthusiasm. Even when Charma Gal performed Sekuta, the Mayor was in control of his saddle and to him it was more like riding a bike.
Rigid as he was when it comes to his fancy footwork, he still kept his infectious trademark smile.
By the time Charma Gal rocked Jabu Ke Mo Mejemong, the Mayor’s dancing was now an accessory to the former Culture Spears member’s lyrics and music.
The way he moved was a clear indicator that he had no time to talk (Wala wala) too much. It seemed as if his energy has been upwelling the entire time and only Charma Gal had the power to slow or perhaps shut down this dancing volcano.
Even though Charma Gal’s performance eventually came to an end the Mayor seemed to have triumphed and those who were there saw the high velocity and individuality of his dancing.
Perhaps the Mayor’s dancing ability is not unheralded like I thought, maybe his style of dance was dictated by Charma Gal’s songs, but I bet if you put him in a dance-battle or a ballet room he would do beyond what seems humanly possible.
Thutlwe is the guy you invite to your epic party and from what I have seen with my own eyes and the images I captured behind the lens, Thutlwe’s fancy footwork can get the crowd going anytime.