Development
Projects
A Nest of Dance - Kiota cha Dansi)
In 2025, Nantea Dance Company will launch A Nest of Dance (Swahili: Kiota cha Dansi) in partnership with Goethe-Institut Tanzania, an inclusive platform that uplifts and amplifies diverse Tanzanian dance styles and stories. The initiative responds to the underrepresentation of hip-hop, Afrodance, traditional dances, breakdance, Singeli, and dance theater within formal artistic spaces.
The project will run as a bi-monthly program from May 2025 to November 2025 and aiming to continue beyond, hosted at the Goethe-Institut in Dar es Salaam. Each edition will feature curated performances, artist talks, and open discussions focused on advocacy, artistic exchange, and community building. Each edition will be built around a specific theme, creating space for diverse dance styles and personal stories to emerge within that context.
The platform directry beneficialies are the emerging Tanzanian dance artists aged 18–35, especially those from underserved communities, including women, youth, and dancers working in informal sectors. The broader public will also be engaged through free, accessible events that celebrate Tanzanian cultural richness and promote cross-genre collaboration.
Team Leads:
Samwel Japhet – Co-founder & Producer
Tadhi Alawi – Co-founder & Creative Director
Irene Themistocles – Event Assistant
Contemporary Dance Night 2018 - 2020
Since 2018, Nantea Dance Company has organized a bi-annual contemporary dance night, providing a platform for young Tanzanian and East African contemporary dance artists to showcase their work to diverse audiences. This initiative aims to promote the regional dance scene and has featured productions from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Congo, and Germany.
This initiative has been made possible through the generous support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania, Nafasi Art Space, British Council, MUDA Africa, Prince Claus Fund, Ruka Company, Alliance Française de Dar es Salaam, Eye Film, Boresha Radio, and Acto Light Company.
Nje Ndani Outreach
Nje Ndani, meaning 'In and Out,' is a dance project initiated by Nantea Dance Company to improve Tanzania's dance sector by empowering emerging Tanzanian dance artists who aspire to establish themselves in the international dance scene. The project offers workshops, seminars, and open dialogues focusing on artistic expression, creative entrepreneurship, and professional development. This program aims to meet the growing demand for professionalization in the Tanzanian cultural sector, accentuated by a thriving artistic scene over the past decade.The program intends to serve as a platform for dance artists who aspire to emerge in the international dance scene and establish their choreographic career.
The program focuses on artists who seek to refine their dance techniques, deepen their understanding of movement, explore new forms of artistic expression and storytelling. Nje Ndani aims to offer the emerging dance artists with creative skills and knowledge to thrive as entrepreneurs and professionals in the international dance scene, and provide them with access to information opportunities.
Nje Ndani provides a platform for sharing knowledge, fostering connections, and encouraging collaboration among Tanzanian dance artists. Through workshops, seminars, and open dialogues, the project aims to facilitate discussions on various topics, including freedom of expression, the future of dance in Tanzania, social issues, the local and international performing arts industry, sustainability in the arts, and the role of digital technology.
