When Gregory Maqoma declares that Genesis is his confrontation with time, its violence, its grace, and its invitation to begin again, you know you are not simply attending a performance. You are stepping into a reckoning.
From 18 to 21 February 2026, the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town will become the birthplace of Genesis, a dance opera that fuses movement, music, and poetry into a visceral meditation on creation and transformation. This is the unveiling of a new era in performance art, a work that dares to bend the boundaries of contemporary dance and opera into something audaciously alive.
A Visionary Returns Home
Internationally revered and decorated with accolades from Paris to Pretoria, Maqoma returns to the Baxter with a production commissioned by the theatre itself, a gesture of faith in his imagination and courage. For Maqoma, the Baxter is a partner in his becoming. a stage where he redefines what South African performance can be.
Following the triumphs of Exit/Exist (2023) and Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero (2024), Genesis continues Maqoma’s relentless pursuit of art that is both poetic and political, intimate yet universal.
A Constellation of Collaborators
At the heart of Genesis lies an ensemble of world-class creatives:
- Music: Mthwakazi Chosi, Annalyzer, Yogin Sulaphin, and Xolilisle Bongwana, under the musical direction of Nhlanhla Mahangu.
- Poetry: Anelisa Phewa, whose voice anchors the work in emotional depth.
- Libretto: Karthika Nair, weaving lyricism into the narrative fabric.
- Design: Jacques van der Watt (Black Coffee Fashion), Oliver Hauser (lighting), and Willy Cesar (set).
Together, they create a sensory landscape where dance collides with sound and text, demanding audiences not just to watch, but to feel.
The Vuyani Ensemble: Pushing Beyond Limits
Maqoma’s long-time collaborator Shannel Winlock-Pailman joins him in pushing the Vuyani Dance Theatre ensemble into new expressive territory. Expect physicality that borders on the impossible, performance excellence that redefines endurance, and choreography that speaks to the infinite cycle of existence.
After its limited five-performance run at the Baxter, Genesis transfers to the Joburg Theatre from 19 to 22 March 2026. Two cities, two stages, one groundbreaking work that insists on being witnessed.
Beyond Genesis: A Year of Living Works
“I am deeply grateful to see my works living and breathing on stages across South Africa, Europe and America,” Maqoma reflects.
Bantu will be presented at UJ Arts & Culture on 30 and 31 January, with booking through @quicket. Genesis: The Beginning and the End of Time returns at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town from 18 to 21 February and travels to the Joburg Theatre from 19 to 22 March, with booking through @webtickets. Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero continues its journey across Europe later this year, with performances scheduled in Madrid and Sochi.
Each of these works carries its own pulse, reclamation, memory, resistance, spirit. To witness dancers, musicians, technicians and creative teams embody them night after night is a reminder that choreography is never solitary. It is a collective act of faith.
The Philosophy of Collision
At the same time, Maqoma is entering new artistic conversations with William Kentridge at Glyndebourne, Sue Buckmaster and Theatre Rites, and Amir Nizar Zoabi. These are artists whose practices stretch across visual art, puppetry, theatre, political inquiry, and poetic imagination.
Here, Maqoma offers a statement that crystallizes his philosophy:
“What excites me is not simply collaboration, but the possibility of collision, drawing meeting body, object meeting breath, text meeting ancestral rhythm.”
Camagu: Gratitude and Continuity
“I am grateful to the stages that continue to host the work, to collaborators who trust the journey, and to audiences who meet us in the dark. The year has only begun. Camagu.”
Gregory Maqoma’s work has always been about memory, identity, and the urgency of art in times of change. And now, with Genesis, he offers audiences a chance to experience the beginning and end of time, compressed into a single, unforgettable performance.
Booking Details
Tickets are available via Webtickets online or at Pick n Pay stores. For discounted block bookings, fundraisers, and charities, contact Carmen Kearns at 021 680 3993 or email carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za.
