MusicDance Cape Town is an annual project taking place at Theatre Arts, Cape Town.
It started in 2018, spearheaded by dancers Manuela Lucia Tessi and Thalia Laric. In this 8th season it will be directed by Manuela Lucia Tessi (IT-NE) in collaboration with a local and international team of musicians and dancers: Coila-Leah Enderstein (ZA-DE), Garth Erasmus (ZA), Vintani Nafassi (MOZ-ZA), Nicolle Vieira (BR-PT), Lucy Strauss (ZA-SE), Friederike Wendorf (DE), and lighting designer Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze (ZA).
The project brings together artists from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds to collaboratively create new work. It begins with an intensive series of workshops where participants, guided by facilitating artists, explore the tools and principles of multi-, interdisciplinary, and real-time composition.
Each performance night features a program of short creations of sound and movement, with a different constellation of performers. All compositions are created spontaneously, emerging from real-time artistic decisions involving movement, sound, light, and presence. This project offers a transformative opportunity for artists to expand their skills, strengthen their creative agency, and build lasting collaborations. Its performance platform invites the public to experience new work while offering a rare glimpse into the immediacy, experimentation, and risk inherent in real-time performance.
Manuela Lucia Tessi
Ashraf Wahed, Kayla van der Merwe, Laëtitia Galvaire, Thimna Ndwe, Zia Francis, Zaria Moal, Billy Wong, Quanita Allie, Marie Hahne, Vincent Rae, Tsholofelo Ndaba, Roxanne De Freitas, Xavier Parks, Mihlali Mayeza, Joy (dance), Gemma Paton (dance and vocals) Feven Kidane (trumpet, bass), Josie McClure (saxophone), Isabella Hulme (saxophone), and Yanna Romano (dance and piano).
Performances
Wednesday, 3rd December - 8pm
Quanita Allie (dance), Kayla van der Merwe (dance), Marie Hahne (dance), Roxanne De Freitas (dance), Xavier Parks (dance), Manuela Lucia Tessi (dance), Nicolle Vieira (dance and text), Feven Kidane (trumpet, bass), Josie McClure (saxophone), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Vintani Nafassi (percussion, seperewa, umtshingo, mbira, voice, dance), Lucy Strauss (viola, electronics), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics, and reeds), and Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze (lights).
Thursday, 4th December - 8pm
Ashraf Wahed (dance), Laëtitia Galvaire (dance), Zaria Moal (dance), Billy Wong (dance), Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, dance), Isabella Hulme (saxophone), Manuela Lucia Tessi (dance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Vintani Nafassi (percussion, seperewa, umtshingo, mbira, voice, dance), Nicolle Vieira (dance and text), Lucy Strauss (viola, electronics), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics, and reeds), and Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze (lights).
Friday, 5th December - 8pm
Thimna Ndwe (dance), Zia Francis (dance), Mihlali Mayeza (dance), Vincent Rae (dance), Tsholofelo Ndaba (dance), and Joy (dance) Gemma Paton (dance and vocals), Feven Kidane (trumpet, bass), Manuela Lucia Tessi (dance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Vintani Nafassi (percussion, seperewa, umtshingo, mbira, voice, dance), Nicolle Vieira (dance and text), Lucy Strauss (viola, electronics), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics, and reeds), Friederike Wendorf (flutes), and Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze (lights).
Thursday, 11th December - 8pm
Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, dance), Billy Wong (dance), Ashraf Wahed (dance), Yanna Romano (dance and piano), Vincent Rae (dance), Xavier Parks (dance), Quanita Allie (dance), Joy (dance), Feven Kidane (trumpet, bass), Manuela Lucia Tessi (dance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Vintani Nafassi (percussion, seperewa, umtshingo, mbira, voice, dance), Nicolle Vieira (dance and text), Lucy Strauss (viola, electronics), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics, and reeds), Friederike Wendorf (flutes), and Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze (lights).
Friday, 12th December - 8pm
Isabella Hulme (saxophone), Yanna Romano (dance and piano), Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, dance), Josie McClure (saxophone), Tsholofelo Ndaba (dance), Zia Francis (dance), Marie Hahne (dance), Roxanne de Freitas (dance), Gemma Paton (dance), Manuela Lucia Tessi (dance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Vintani Nafassi (percussion, seperewa, umtshingo, mbira, voice, dance), Nicolle Vieira (dance and text), Lucy Strauss (viola and electronics), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds), Friederike Wendorf (flutes), Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze (lights)
Saturday, 13th December - 8pm
Laëtitia Galvaire (dance), Kayla van der Merwe (dance), Zaria Moal (dance), Thimna Ndwe (dance), Mihlali Mayeza (dance), Feven Kidane (trumpet, bass), Isabella Hulme (saxophone), Josie McClure (saxophone), Manuela Lucia Tessi (dance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Vintani Nafassi (percussion, seperewa, umtshingo, mbira, voice, dance), Nicolle Vieira (dance and text), Lucy Strauss (viola, electronics), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics, and reeds), and Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze (lights).