7 months ago
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Spotting carousels and acrobats at a nearby circus was a norm back in the '90s, it was a tradition every millennial remembers and through the years all of that faded. This is why globally renowned artist and circus expert Prince Malatsi has made it his mission to bring the love of circuses back.
As a self-taught performer who has travelled to more than 47 countries, entertaining audiences with his exceptional talent, the 57-year-old skilled acrobat has in the past three years – since his return to SA – been more intentional with passing down his 30-years wealth of knowledge and skills with the local youth of Pretoria, particularly in the Mabopane area.
His vision is to create job opportunities, uplift “unusual” talents, and bring hidden performance skills to the forefront. This he plans to do through his workshops and nine-province tour that will kick start his inaugural Mzansi World Cup Circus Festival scheduled for next year.
“I work with kids at the State Theatre in Pretoria and I also conduct some classes in Mabopane. I want these young people to know that there isn’t just music or soccer that they can pursue, there is also acrobatics,” he said.
“What people forget is that acrobatics are a child’s play type of activity. It’s something all of us are born with and have the ability to do but people don’t realise that there is a career in tumbling while having fun with your unusual talent. It’s something that can help take the youth off the streets and build something solid.”
Malatsi, who resides in Klipgat, Pretoria, met his love for tumbling at the age of seven. He recalls the joy he’d feel catching a taxi to Marabastad on weekends just to perform cartwheels and antics for people passing by at the taxi rank.
“I don’t know how I started tumbling… I just saw one person doing it and I also tried and realised I was good at it. I then made it a way to get money from people as I didn’t have pocket money for school. When I turned 10, I then started going to the streets of Joburg to entertain people there,” he said.
“People then started recognising me and would ask me to come to a tumble at their parties, weddings and break dancing. I even met Oskido when he used to be a DJ and Penny Penny was at his peak.”
While he learnt how to combine martial arts with his acrobatic skills, Malatsi prides himself that, as he honed his craft in his teens, he was seen as the “godfather of tumbling” in Johannesburg which opened his doors to a wider global audience.
“We as Africans have been acrobats for centuries. We have all this athletic energy and incredible performance acumen that I want all young people to know of so that they can provide a decent livelihood while doing what they love,” the choreographer and voice coach said.
“I was 22 when I first saw a circus. It used to play on TV1. This motivated me to join a four-man circus as the only black man. Being a part of this group was exciting, I was able to showcase my ability and what my body can do. To me, it was a calling. It was as if the universe said to me ‘this is where you belong’ – that’s why I was always happy to be on stage and perform, even today.”
Having travelled almost all continents, Malatsi’s most precious memory about his journey is sharing his love and passion with his son, Lucky Daniel Malatsi, who has followed in his footsteps.
“I started training my son when he learnt how to walk. When he was four years old, he was already a star and excelled in it. I was in my 20s and I chose to travel with him to America. We went on to travel numerous countries showcasing what we do,” he said.
“I wanted to be able to experience the love of acrobatics with him… and to this day, we still share the same love.
“I was once called an emperor by a Chinese man. He was so fascinated by how skilled I was in tumbling… this is when I knew I was on the right track as it came from one of the best gymnasts.”
