Robyn Orlin is one of South Africa’s most controversial and provocative choreographers/ performance artists. She has redefined choreography and performance art in South Africa. A Masters graduate of the School of Art Institute of Chicago (Fullbright Scholarship). Robyn has received many awards for her work in South Africa. These include: the FNB Vita award for Contribution to Dance in South Africa and 1997 a FNB Fine Artist award.

Robyn Orlin is very good at titles, for example: If you can’t change the world change your curtains (PACT Dance Company, 1990) If the whole population of China jumped up and down at te same time, the earth would move (NAPAC Dance Company, 1989). Sometimes Robyn even has a theme running through her work’s e.g.: Animals themes: Naked on a Goat (Market Theatre, 1996) and With astonishment I note the Dog (PDC, 1996).

Or States of Being Themes: explaining loss to a young ballerina... (The School of the Art of Chicago, 1990). Evidence of Robyn’s astrological inclinations can be found in such titles as In a corner the sky surrenders (Dance Umbrella and Grahamstown Festival, 1995/ North Western University, Chicago, 1994) The explosion of stars is not only reserved for ticket holders (NAPAC Dance Company, 1994/ Columbia College Dance Centre, Chicago, 1992) I throw myself against the sky ( The School of Art Institute of Chicago, 1991). Links between titles such as that’s the way the cookie crumbles (Playhouse Dance Company, 1996) five girls screaming (Pretoria Technikon Dance, Grahamstown Festival, 1989) and A hat is not a definitive envelope for a head (PDC, 1995) are quite obvious and are just a few pointers towards understanding the world of Robyn Orlin.

One of the things that Robyn Orlin will be remembered for is the re-invention of the tutu. Tutu /'tu:tu:/ n.a. ballet dancers short skirt of stiffened projecting frills (F). Not to be confused with Tutu / tu:tu:/ n. Bot. A shrub, Coriaria arborea, native to New Zealand, bearing poisonous purplish-black berries (Maori).

Naked on a Goat has just returned from touring to Switzerland and Poland and after performing at this years Arts Alive Festival it will tour to Nantes Festival in France. Europeans are warned to look up their goats and hide their tutus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Hitchhiker exhibition at AICA was witness to Robyn's installation Lazy Susan (and yes, there was a tutu involved)

Robyn's most recent installation at the Gertrude Posel Gallery (Purity and Danger Show, 1997) is hopefully a move into a new post tutu phase - Dress with itchy balls

Robyn was seen solo at the 2nd Johannesburg International Biennale 1997 in my hiccups continue to growl . Due to a growing shortage of dancers, she was accompanied by 30 100W light bulbs.

Her contribution for the FNB young artist award keep the homefires burning... is loosely based on her outright confession - "It's really hard (for a girl in a tutu) to survive in South Africa with a Baroque mind, but it's constantly a challenge!!"

Tribute by - Bruce Laing & Toni Morkel in 1997