From 10-16 October, the Sibikwa Arts Centre in Benoni hosted the Body Moves International Inclusive Dance Festival. The festival showcased the work of both able bodied and other abled dancers, featuring eight dance companies (three from South Africa and five international). Dance and disability workshops, professional exchange workshops and forums took place during the week. The festival culminated with two public performances and a hybrid colloquium to promote conversations between academia, civil society organisations and artists about inclusive dance.

Flanders was proud to support choreographer Lisi Esteras of MonkeyMind Company, a contemporary dance and performance company based in Ghent. “What we can do together” was choreographed to be performed with dancers from both MonkeyMind Company and Unmute Dance Company from Cape Town. The work depicts how personal stories are written in the bodies and can become a collective memory. This redefines communication, opens up new possibilities of interaction and generates an ongoing exercise in meeting.

The Body Moves International Inclusive Dance Festival challenged perceptions and aimed to expand our understanding of dance and disability. We applaud Sibikwa Arts Centre for bringing this highly interactive and relevant event to fruition.