MELINA MELETAKOS
Rag Week was off to a competitive start on 6 February with Ienk Melodienk, Tuks’s very own annwwal singing and dancing extravaganza. This year’s first years brought the fantastic, the forgettable and (thanks to Kollege) comic relief to the stage.
Organised efficiently by Student Culture (Stuku) and hosted by Tuks FM’s Alex Caige, Ienk Melodienk quickly became a contest of who could best do the Pata Pata and who had the Moves Like Jagger.
“I think it went quite smoothly. We were on schedule. Overall, my team and I did a good job,” said Chené Lombaard, the External Culture Executive Committee member of Stuku.
Dressed up as Spanish bullfighters, Asterhof’s tightly synchronised routine earned them a well-deserved first place in the ladies’ category. Asterhof’s Ienk Guardian, Carina van Niekerk, commented saying, “I am so proud. I got very emotional. I’m looking forward to a great year with them. I’ve already learned a lot from them and I think we can learn a lot from each other in the year to come.” With scarves that cleverly doubled as a matador’s red cape, they delivered a stellar performance. Boekenhout’s Supervillains secured first place in the men’s category with their intricate choreography and noteworthy band. “We used difficult moves in our routine by incorporating dance moves from music videos like Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance. We also tried to make a show more than anything else,” said Boekenhout’s Ienk Guardian, Leander Visser. “At the moment we are the best res. We won Serrie last year and this was the only cup we still needed.” Their crowning of Julius Malema as the World’s Best Supervillain was a definite crowd pleaser. Luminous, the new kids on the block, were awarded the prize for best mixed residence (although there were only two mixed residences competing) with their theme Chuck versus Charlie, which saw Charlie’s Angels pitted against Chuck Norris.
Sonop’s Blood theme was dubbed the most original idea in the men’s category. A doctor with an oversized scalpel mimicked an incision on one of the doors, which oozed tightly clad red and white blood cells that proceeded to sing and dance enthusiastically. Vividus Ladies earned the same prize in the ladies’ category with their 80s Aerobics theme. Sporting neon orange, yellow and pink, they impressed with their rendition of “The Time Warp”.
Another performance worth mentioning is Taaibos’s Dustbin Men Going Green. Their jam-packed routine included entertaining acrobatics, a conversation between a British scientist and two South Africans, and a break dancer popping out of a dustbin. Kollege staying true to their reputation, provided the shock factor for the night. Their crude dance moves and not so underhanded insults left the conservatives in the crowd with their mouths wide open and the rest of the audience in hysterics.
This year the judges included Frieda Lombaard, Warren le Grange, Lizandra Pretorius, Louw Breytenbach, Kobus Lourens, Masitha Hoeane and Christe Kotze. Le Grange, Creative Director at performing arts company 13th Floor, said that the judges were looking for “creativity, authenticity, [for the residences] to be original in their concepts and [displays of] high energy.”
“I think I experienced a lot of that from the guys tonight. They were super creative. Not that the girls weren’t – the guys were just absolutely pushing the bar,” he commented. Le Grange also noted the higher standard of this year’s performances. “I was a judge here last year as well. The standard has been raised and I loved that.”
Photos: Brad Donald
