After more than 30 years of creating movement that bridges African tradition and contemporary dance, Vincent Mantsoe returns to the University of Johannesburg with a deeply personal work rooted in dreams, identity and spirituality.
What happens when dance becomes more than movement? When every gesture carries a memory, a story or a connection to those who came before us?
For South African choreographer Vincent Sekwati Koko Mantsoe, these questions sit at the heart of his work. On 25 October 2026, he returns to the University of Johannesburg (UJ) as its 2026 Artist in Residence for dance, presenting the first performance of Mpeyane’s Dream/Ipupo at the UJ Arts Centre.
The production draws on more than three decades of Mantsoe’s creative journey, revisiting earlier ideas while exploring the relationship between identity, dreams and ancestral heritage.
At its centre is a character who has lost a sense of who he is. Through dreams, he begins a journey towards his ancestors, his spirits and, ultimately, himself.
For Mantsoe, the piece is still taking shape. He describes it as a process of exploring ideas and discovering how they translate physically and emotionally.
A heritage that moves with Vincent
Raised in Soweto in a family of sangomas, Mantsoe grew up around healing ceremonies, playing drums alongside his grandmother, aunt and mother. His relationship with spirituality continues to inform his artistic practice.
For Mpeyane’s Dream/Ipupo, he is composing the music and designing the set himself. The music draws on isiXhosa sounds, connecting the character’s dreams to the spiritual world.
His approach brings traditional African movement into conversation with contemporary dance, ballet technique and Asian martial arts. Yet Vincent Mantsoe is mindful that the traditional movements he uses carry cultural and spiritual significance.
He believes they must be approached with respect and an understanding of where they come from.
It is this balance between heritage and contemporary expression that makes the new work particularly personal.
More than a performance
Mantsoe’s return to UJ also creates an opportunity for students to engage with his creative process. He hopes the production will serve as a case study, allowing emerging artists to explore how a choreographer develops ideas and builds a body of work over time.
His residency extends his ongoing exploration of teaching methods informed by sangoma ritual practice, placing traditional knowledge within a contemporary learning environment.
Since beginning his professional dance journey at Moving Into Dance Mophatong in 1990, Mantsoe has developed an internationally recognised Afro-fusion style and created work for companies across the world.
Now, Mpeyane’s Dream/Ipupo brings his attention back to the questions that continue to shape his work: where we come from, what we carry and how those connections influence who we become.
For audiences, the invitation is to experience dance beyond its physical beauty and consider what might be communicated when words fall away.
Event details
- Production: Mpeyane’s Dream/Ipupo
- Date: 25 October 2026
- Time: 15:00
- Venue: Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, UJ Arts Centre
- Tickets: R150 viaQuicket
