About Thami

BIOGRAPHY OF THAMI TSHABALALA

Born in Soweto with a relentless passion and rive for the arts, Thamsanqa is determined to push any limits there may be on creativity and entertainment, particularly in the choreography and performance landscape. He started training classically at the age of 16 at the National School of the Arts the supervision of the late Danelle Crous, Manual Norambuena, and Lauren Jones, receiving full colors in performance at the end of his graduating year in 2009. Post matriculating, he was requested by directors Andile Stali and Kebu Mwale to choreograph the National School of the Arts main musical Sarafina, staged at their annual Festival of Fame in 2010. In 2011 he went on to further his studies in dance at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), majoring in performance and choreography, graduating in 2013. Whilst at the TUT he was awarded the Kelsey Middleton floating trophy for Best Contemporary dancer in 2012 and 2013, and Best Choreography for his final exam work titled, and the soft voices die.

During his second year at the TUT in 2012, he joined KMAD Dance Company for their tenth anniversary season Decade. In March 2013, he was given the opportunity to set his second-year work Dissolution of Conformity for KMAD Dance Company as part of their Next Generation season performed at the Dance Factory. At the Dance Umbrella 25th anniversary celebration which took place at the Wits Theatre, Tshabalala took on the lead role of me in Christopher Kindos’ acclaimed Me & You. In the same year, he again worked with KMAD and co-choreographed the Standard Bank Ovation Award winning work Sins that premiered at National Arts Festival, and No Air in the following year.

With the amazing success achieved by Sins and No Air, Thami received his third commission from KMAD to co-choreograph the work I Am, alongside Khaya Ndlovu for the National Arts Festival in 2016. This work was again successful, receiving great reviews and acclaim from the critics and from the festival alike.

In July 2015, he was commissioned to choreograph a competitive work for the South African Gymnastics team for the World Gymnastrada competition in Finland, from which he returned with a silver accolade. Thami choreographed his fourth work for KMAD in May 2016. Vibrations of Us was staged at the Next Generation 2 season, the work went on to the Krekvars Festival at the University of Pretoria where it was awarded the Kyknet prize for Best Physical Theatre Production. The same work was also performed at the 29th Dance Umbrella as part of the young artist program.

Thami created his first solo work Simon for the relaunch of Dance Umbrella Africa in 2019. At the request of festival executive director at the time, Mamela Nyamza, Simon returned for a season at The South African State Theatre in May 2019. In June 2020, Simon was selected to be a part of the virtual Pan African Creative Exchange Festival (PACE), which celebrated a range of artists with a view to increasing the global reach of interdisciplinary creative arts industries in Africa, and to contributing to the future development of work from the continent amidst the COVID restrictions.

Simon was selected as the closing production for the Solo & Duo Festival at the Soweto Theater in October 2020. The festival aimed to stage works by young upcoming South African theatre makers. The success of Simon, lead to a nomination in the Best Contemporary/Ballet Production category at the Naledi Theatre Awards in 2020.

The seasoned performer joined Dada Masilos’ rendition of the classic Swan Lake amidst his studies at the TUT in 2013, dancing the role of Odile-the black swan. He has also understudied her in the lead role of Giselle. He toured Europe extensively with her company, performing in countries such as Belgium, France, Italy and the Netherlands, while adding New York and Chile to the itinerary. The last work with Masilo was her then newly created rendition of The Rite of Spring titled The Sacrifice, which premiered in Vienna-Austria in august of 2021.

Tshabalala’s independent repertoire comprises of a bouquet of contemporary, interdisciplinary works. He added Isenyuso to his list in 2022, which premiered at the Kucheza Festival at The South African State Theatre. The work received two nominations at the Naledi Theater Awards 2023, Best Dance production and Best Performer in a Dance Production.

Moreover, the year 2023 saw Thamsanqa being commissioned to choreograph a work titled On your Mark for the annual Dance Spectrum, produced by the National School of the Arts which premiered in September at the Joburg Theatre, as well as debuting in the principal role of the healer in the world premiere of Mzansi Ballet’s The Gold Rhino of Maphungubwe at the annual Kucheza festival. In the same breath of the year, industry giant Mamela Nyamza requested Tshabalala’s undeniable performance presence in the re-imagined Hatched Ensemble which premiered at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda in June of 2023, which went on to be performed at the Jomba Contemporary Dance Experience in Durban, The Market Theatre, the 10th Kinani Biennale in Mozambique and is currently on world tour with renowned choreographer.

He is also currently creating his own work and employing artists to further his own personal achievements and playing his part in giving back to the industry which he so clearly loves. Additionally, he premiered his fourth independent work titled Petticoat Princess at the inauguration of the dance season Joburg Moves, hosted by the University of Johannes burg in April of 2024. Post his international return in June 2024, he was requested to be part of the adjudicating panel for Dance Fusion Competition, seeing through the best dancers to represent South Africa at the finals in Australia, November 2024. Whilst Thamsanqa’s current portfolio distinguishes him from many of his peers and proves that he is indeed a force to be reckoned with in the industry, he is still excited and hungry for the next big thing.

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