Thami Tshabalala performs Isenyuso, an original production he choreographed in 2023, at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. His new work, It’s a LONG Story, is scheduled to be performed at the theatre at the end of March 2026. (Photo: Supplied / The Market Theatre) Most classically trained dancers begin their training at three or four years old. So when dancer and choreographer Thami Tshabalala (34) began at the advanced age of 16 while attending the National School of Arts, it was an uphill battle to catch up to his peers.
“I did drama from Grade 8 to Grade 9, and the art school then gave me an opportunity to do two subjects and my alternative subject was dance,” he said. “And I did my first demi-plié with my arm in second, and I can’t begin to explain the feeling that rushed through my body that day. And from that day on, I just never looked back. I’ve been dancing since.”
After 16 years, his hard work continues to pay off. On 16 February, he was announced as the recipient of the Barney Simon Residency hosted by the Market Theatre, making history as the first dance-based performer to win the award. The residency includes a R90,000 project grant and exclusive access to studio space in the heart of Newtown for eight weeks to develop a new work.
Through contemporary dance, Tshabalala has propelled himself into the spotlight, becoming a four-time Naledi Theatre award winner. Throughout his career he has worked with industry veterans such as Mamela Nyamza, Kelsey Middleton and the late Dada Masilo. He created his first solo work, Simon, in 2019 for the relaunch of Dance Umbrella Africa, which earned him his first Naledi Theatre nomination in 2020.
His other works include Vibrations of Us (2016), Isenyuso (2023), Petticoat Princess (2025) and the 2024 Hatched Ensemble European Tour, which took him to stages across five countries and eight cities.
‘I want to achieve something new’
Now, Tshabalala is at home in his studio space where he’s developing his latest concept titled It’s a LONG Story, using experimental choreography to explore themes of identity, belonging and the African queer body.
“This is a new genre of dance, a new genre of art that will probably have a space in the world one day. And that’s what I want to achieve,” Tshabalala said. “I want to achieve something new, something really, really, really new.”
/file/attachments/orphans/ThamiTshabalala_ISENYUSO_5May2022_0219_350184.jpg "Thami Tshabalala (left) performs Isenyuso, an original production choreographed by him, alongside fellow dancer Khaya Ndlovu at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. (Photo: Supplied / The Market Theatre)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ThamiTshabalala_ISENYUSO_5May2022_0109_425835.jpg "Thami Tshabalala (left) and Khaya Ndlovu perform his original work Isenyuso at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. (Photo: Supplied / The Market Theatre)")
On the 27 December 2025 at 9am, Tshabalala was woken up with a call from the head of the Market Theatre Lab, Cheraé Halley, setting his concept he’d worked on for years into motion.
“And literally as I got off that call, I looked up on my storyboard and I was like, that’s the work I’m going to use for the residency,” he said. “I’d already applied with it, but then just to now fully go into it and fully find its manifestation and find its feet and find its body was exciting.”
It’s a LONG Story draws from his personal experiences, including the criticisms he’s received about his body throughout his 16-year career. Tshabalala’s diminutive figure led to his being bullied and attempts to discourage him from dancing.
“A black boy dancing and also, you are so thin, you won’t be able to lift anyone in the industry. No company is going to hire you, and that heavy blanket followed me in my career for quite a while,” he said.
His background also played a role. Tshabalala was born in Soweto and had a passion for theatre and dancing from an early age, to the disapproval of his parents. “I had to work ten times harder than someone who would do classical ballet every single day,” he said.
Now, part of his residency involves mentoring younger dancers, where he aims to serve as an inspiration for other black, queer dancers. When asked what advice he’d offer to those who look up to him, he stressed the importance of gaining a formal education in dance.
“Unfortunately, the industry is harder for the majority that does not go to school for it because you do not know the ins and outs of the industry. You don’t know the terminology that the industry uses,” he said.
“Go out there, get it, and don’t listen to the noise. But you have to work hard. I know it’s cliche, but you have to work hard.” DM
Tshabalala’s residency culminates in the public performance of his work It’s a LONG Story scheduled for the end of March 2026 at the Market Theatre.