Fresh from winning the prestigious Silver Lion award at the 2026 Venice Biennale Danza and being named a finalist for the 2026 Salavisa European Dance Award (SEDA), internationally celebrated South African dance icon and choreographer Mamela Nyamza is bringing her global triumph home.
From April 29 to May 2, Mamela is set to bring two full-scale ensembles to Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre.
“Hatched Ensemble” was co-produced with the National Arts Council of South Africa and the Makhanda National Arts Festival, and “The Herd/Less” was co-produced with Lalanbik Centre de Développement Chorégraphique National in La Réunion, the Venice Biennale and Dance Umbrella UK.
Both pieces, which are for audiences 13 years and older, dig deep into identity, control and the messy realities of being an artist and a human in South Africa today.
“I write my thesis not with a pen but with the body on stage. ‘Hatched Ensemble’ lets these dancers confront the rules that shaped them and then break free. It is about finding your own truth in the middle of all the contradictions. I am so excited for Cape Town to feel that live,” she said.
“These performances at The Baxter are my heartfelt homecoming and my way of saying thank you to my South African supporters. They are also my gentle invitation to all mainstream theatres to keep opening their doors even wider, so more artists can bring … the powerful fusion of art and activism to every audience. Dance is joy. Dance is heritage. Dance is the future we are building together.”
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