Unmute Dance Theatre cast is performing on stages across the world
Unmute Dance Theatre expands inclusive dance from South Africa to global stages this April
South Africa’s leading inclusive dance company, Unmute Dance Theatre, is taking bold strides on both international and local stages this April, reaffirming its position as a global force in inclusive performance.
For 13 years, Unmute has created professional employment and training pathways where few previously existed, building safe, inclusive spaces for artistic development while empowering artists with disabilities to discover and amplify their voices locally and globally.
Following the closure of Remix Dance Company, which left a significant gap in South Africa’s inclusive arts landscape, three of Unmute’s founders stepped forward to continue the work, carrying the company into new local and international stages. For a recent look at that global journey, see Unmute Takes Dance Worldwide
Today, Unmute Dance Theatre stands as the country’s only full-time professional inclusive dance company, where inclusion is not an add-on but the standard embedded in every rehearsal, production, and partnership.
This April, Unmute takes to European stages with What We Can Do Together, a powerful international collaboration choreographed by Lisi Estaras. Co-produced with MonkeyMind Company (Belgium), the work brings together dancers from Europe and South Africa across cultures, abilities, and identities. Through humour, fantasy, music, and movement, the piece challenges limiting perceptions of youthfulness, fitness, race, and ability, inviting audiences into a bold reimagining of difference and connection.
European Tour Dates:
- 22 April – Roeselare, Despil Cultuurcentrum
- 25 April – Aalst, Dewerfcultuurhuis
- 28 April – Brussels, KVS
Back home, Unmute will also perform at the Suidoosterfees in Cape Town with Unmute, a contemporary work choreographed by Andile Vellem. Drawing from his lived experience as a deaf dancer, Vellem uses South African Sign Language as a primary movement language to challenge conventional ideas of communication and inclusion.
Suidoosterfees Performances:
- 1 May 2026 at 16:30
- 2 May 2026 at 18:00
(Tickets: R50 via WebTickets)
Suidoosterfees, running from 29 April to 3 May under the theme Home/Tuiste, the festival celebrates belonging, identity, and connection, providing a fitting platform for Unmute’s deeply human and boundary-pushing work. Alongside its performance success, Unmute Dance Theatre continues to invest in the future of inclusive arts through its recently launched three-year, full-time education programme. Close to the company’s heart, the programme integrates disability and the arts, offering rigorous professional training to young dancers with and without disabilities.
Current trainees include Cassidy Bailey (Athlone), Alfred Madlala (Mfuleni), Lesedi Mbewu (Mfuleni), Michael Mzizi (Langa), Hlomla Mqushulu (Langa), Rethabile Ntsimane (Rondebosch), Asia Afrikaner (Bonteheuwel), Joshua Isaac (Retreat), and Jesse Jacobs (Diep River).
The Unmute Dance Theatre Training Programme blends dance theory, SignDance, African Contemporary Dance, and choreographic development, supported by inclusive teaching methods and a pedagogy of care. It equips participants with both technical and conceptual skills, preparing them for careers as performers, facilitators, and choreographers, while creating sustainable pathways into the professional arts sector.
Quote from Nadine McKenzie, Artistic Director and Founder of Unmute Dance Theatre:
“Unmute was born out of a need to continue a vision of inclusion that could not be lost. Thirteen years later, we are not only sustaining that vision; we are expanding it globally while investing deeply in the next generation of artists. Our education programme is about more than training dancers; it’s about reshaping the future of the arts to be truly inclusive, professional, and representative of all bodies and voices.”
As Unmute continues to tour internationally while nurturing local talent, it stands as a powerful example of what is possible when inclusion is not treated as an exception but as the standard.
For information, check the Thrive website on www.unmutedancetheatre.co.za or email info@unmutedancetheatre.co.za or telephone +27 21 410 9872.
Social Media:
Instagram – @unmutedance | TikTok – @unmute_dance | Facebook – Unmute Dance Company | Youtube – @unmutedance
