MusicDance Cape Town is an annual project taking place at Theatre Arts.
It started in 2018 spearheaded by dancers Manuela Lucia Tessi and Thalia Laric.
In this 9th season it will be directed by Manuela Lucia Tessi and musician Coila-Leah Enderstein in collaboration with local musicians Garth Erasmus, Matteo Ringas and lighting designers Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze and Lutho Booizen.
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 and light. 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.
Performances:
Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 and Friday 27 November and Thursday 3, Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December
8pm Entrance R125
Theatre Arts , Corner Milton Road, Wesley St, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925
Artistic Direction: Coila-Leah Enderstein, Manuela Lucia Tessi
Team of Collaborating and Facilitating Artists: Garth Erasmus, Matteo Ringas
Production: Gemma Paton , Kayla van der Merwe
Guest Artist: Thalia Laric
Lighting Design and Visuals: Frans Madilakhe Zunguze, Lutho Booizen
Photography: Tania Lea Vossgätter (shiftingpoint_studio)
Line up for each nights are announced here (also read below)
https://musicdance.net/capetown2026/
@musicdance021
https://www.facebook.com/MusicDanceprojects/
https://theatrearts.co.za/
All Performers 2026:
Ashraf Vahed (movement), Billy Enderstein (performance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano)
Elandri van Aardt (movement), Francesca Annenberg (movement), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds), Gemma Paton (movement, vocals), Ghia Koch-Human (electronics, vocals), Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, movement), Kate de Gruchy (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Kate Farquharson (piano, vocals, movement), Kayla van der Merwe (movement), Kyle Linde Vermeulen, (movement), Lola Steiner (movement), Manuela Lucia Tessi (movement), Matteo Ringas (electronics), Penelope Touvier (movement), Quanita Allie (movement), Richard September (performance) Richard Thomas (movement), Ronald Theron (movement), Saschin Martin (guitar) Sèrvane Antonio (performance), Thalia Laric (movement), Vincent Rae (movement), Xavier Parks (movement), Ziko Petse (movement).
With thanks to: Caroline Calburn and Theatre Arts
Wednesday 25th November 8pm PERFORMANCE 1
Line-up:
Ashraf Vahed (movement), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Elandri van Aardt (movement)
Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds), Gemma Paton (movement, vocals), Ghia Koch-Human (electronics, vocals), Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, movement), Kayla van der Merwe (movement), Kyle Linde Vermeulen (movement), Manuela Lucia Tessi (movement), Matteo Ringas (electronics), Richard Thomas (movement), Sèrvane Antonio (performance), Xavier Parks (movement)
Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze, Lutho Booizen (lights)
Thursday 26th November 8pm PERFORMANCE 2
Line-up:
Billy Enderstein (performance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Francesca Annenberg (movement), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds)
Gemma Paton (movement, vocals), Kate Farquharson (piano, vocals, movement), Manuela Lucia Tessi (movement), Matteo Ringas (electronics)
Penelope Touvier (movement), Richard September (performance), Ronald Theron (movement), Saschin Martin (guitar), Thalia Laric (movement),Vincent Rae (movement), Ziko Petse (movement).
Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze, Lutho Booizen (lights)
Friday 27th November 8pm PERFORMANCE 3
Line-up:
Ashraf Vahed (movement), Billy Enderstein (performance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano)
Elandri van Aardt (movement), Francesca Annenberg (movement), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds), Gemma Paton (movement, vocals), Ghia Koch-Human (electronics, vocals), Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, movement), Kate Farquharson (piano, vocals, movement), Kayla van der Merwe (movement), Kyle Linde Vermeulen, (movement), Manuela Lucia Tessi (movement), Matteo Ringas (electronics), Penelope Touvier (movement), Richard September (performance)
Richard Thomas (movement), Ronald Theron (movement), Saschin Martin (guitar)
Sèrvane Antonio (performance), Thalia Laric (movement), Vincent Rae (movement), Xavier Parks (movement), Ziko Petse (movement).
Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze, Lutho Booizen (lights).
Thursday 3rd December 8pm PERFORMANCE 4
Line-up:
Ashraf Vahed (movement), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Elandri van Aardt (movement), Francesca Annenberg (movement), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds), Gemma Paton (movement, vocals), Kayla van der Merwe (movement), Kate Farquharson (piano, vocals, movement), Kate de Gruchy (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Kyle Linde Vermeulen (movement), Manuela Lucia Tessi (movement), Matteo Ringas (electronics), Penelope Touvier (movement), Quanita Allie (movement), Richard Thomas (movement), Ronald Theron (movement), Saschin Martin (guitar), Sèrvane Antonio (performance) Xavier Parks (movement)
Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze, Lutho Booizen (lights)
Friday 4th December 8pm PERFORMANCE 5
Line-up:
Billy Enderstein (performance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Francesca Annenberg (movement), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds)
Gemma Paton (movement, vocals), Ghia Koch-Human (electronics, vocals)
Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, movement), Kate de Gruchy (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Kayla van der Merwe (movement), Kyle Linde Vermeulen (movement)
Lola Steiner (movement), Manuela Lucia Tessi (movement), Matteo Ringas (electronics),
Quanita Allie (movement), Richard September (performance), Vincent Rae (movement), Ziko Petse (movement).
Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze, Lutho Booizen (lights)
Saturday 5th December 8pm PERFORMANCE 6
Line-up:
Ashraf Vahed (movement), Billy Enderstein (performance), Coila-Leah Enderstein (piano), Elandri van Aardt (movement), Garth Erasmus (self-made, indigenous instruments, electronics and reeds), Gemma Paton (movement, vocals)
Ghia Koch-Human (electronics, vocals), Jonathan Cumming (bass guitar, electronics, movement), Kate Farquharson (piano, vocals, movement), Kayla van der Merwe (movement)
Lola Steiner (movement), Manuela Lucia Tessi (movement), Matteo Ringas (electronics)
Penelope Touvier (movement), Richard September (performance), Richard Thomas (movement), Ronald Theron (movement), Saschin Martin (guitar), Sèrvane Antonio (performance), Vincent Rae (movement), Xavier Parks (movement), Ziko Petse (movement).
Frans Mandilakhe Zunguze, Lutho Booizen (lights)
