SboNdaba Dance brings its powerful dance-theatre production, People on the Move, to Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees on 4 and 8 October, exploring the deeply human experience of departure, exile, migration and the search for belonging.
Inspired by the journeys of political activists, musicians, scholars, writers and ordinary people, People on the Move reflects on the courage it takes to leave one life in search of another. The work speaks to those who cross borders through necessity, conviction, hope or survival, while exploring the profound transformation that takes place when we are forced to begin again.
At the heart of the production is the suitcase, a simple yet powerful symbol of movement and memory. It carries loss, resilience, identity and possibility, reminding us that wherever we arrive, we carry with us the people, places and histories that have shaped us.
In rehearsal
The work is underscored by music from three legendary South African artists who lived and worked in exile during apartheid: Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim. Their music connects the personal stories within
People on the Move to South Africa’s history of displacement, resistance and cultural expression beyond its borders.
Through African contemporary dance, music, storytelling and theatrical imagery, SboNdaba Dance asks audiences to consider not only why people leave, but what remains with them and what they become along the way.
SboNdaba Dance was honoured with the Woordfees 2025 In Solidarity Award, with the citation recognising the company for reminding audiences of “the transformative power of dance to challenge, uplift, and unite.”
WHAT: SboNdaba Dance – People on the Move
WHERE: Adam Small Laboratorium, Stellenbosch
WHEN: Adam Small Laboratorium, Stellenbosch 4 October 16:00 and 8 October 12:00
BOOKING: Quicket Tickets: R180–R250 | R210–R280 at the door
INFO: SboNdaba Dance Paula Kelly 083 267 3029 E sbondabadance@gmail.com VISIT | Woordfees 2026 Programme VISIT
ABOUT SBONDABA DANCE
Empowering artists. Creating opportunities. Connecting communities. | Unmistakably South African in origin. Universal in appeal.
SboNdaba Dance is a Cape Town-based non-profit dance company committed to creating professional opportunities for talented artists from under-resourced communities and bringing the transformative power of dance to audiences across South Africa.
“Each movement is fully inhabited, each moment expanded with fierce commitment, the performance I attended, audible gasps of disbelief rippled through the audience several times.“ – Gillian Mitchell
